Office of the Historian

290. Telegram From the Embassy in the United Kingdom to the Department of State1

London, August 23, 1957—3 p.m.

1365. For Gerard Smith. In accordance with Deptel 1510,2 I have sent the following reply to David Ormsby-Gore emphasizing that we did not wish to make any mention of Congress. Macmillan is back at No. 10 today, and Ormsby-Gore said he felt that my response was satisfactory.

“Supplementing and confirming our discussions of August 15th and 19th,3 and responding to your letter of August 16th,4 the modifications in the US position on nuclear testing and related nuclear matters, which were reported to you on August 15th,5 do not change in any manner the fistexchange of correspondence between the Prime Minister and the President in June 1957.

“You have noted that the revised policy continues to link the nuclear provisions with a broader partial measures agreement, and that no date is now set for the ‘cut-off itself. It is made clear however that nuclear testing may be resumed if the installation of the inspection system for the cut-off and its implementation has not occurred within 24 months after the entry into force of the treaty. Each party concerned must be satisfied, not only at the time of the ratification of the treaty, but also upon the occasion of the passage from the first year to the second on the testing matter, and at the later date established for approval of the inspection system before the cut-off itself occurs.

“Ample time is thus provided in relationship to the exchange of correspondence between the Prime Minister and the President, which is neither contracted or expanded by the modifications in US policy or by our consultations and correspondence.

“May I add my personal appreciation of your cooperation in reaching agreement on the four delegation paper for forwarding to [Page 715] NATO,6 and in the priority partial presentation to the subcommittee on August 21st.”7

Barbour
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 330.13/8–2357. Top Secret; Limit Distribution.↩
  2. Dated August 22, not printed. (Ibid., 330.13/8–2057)↩
  3. Discussion between Stassen and Ormsby-Gore on August 15 is presumably the one reported in telegram 1221 from London, August 17, not printed. (Ibid., 330.13/ 8–1757) Discussion between them on August 19 is reported in telegram 1237 from London, August 19, not printed. (Ibid., 330.13/8–1957)↩
  4. Reported in telegram 1225 from London, August 18. (Ibid., 330.13/8–1857)↩
  5. The changes in the June 11 U.S. position on a first phase of disarmament, sent to the President in Herter’s August 13 memorandum, were transmitted to Stassen in telegram 1277 to London, August 14. (Ibid., 330.13/8–1457)↩
  6. Telegram 1301 from London, August 21, contains the text of the four-power draft working paper for forwarding to NATO. (Ibid., 330.13/8–2157)↩
  7. Reference is to the proposals on the suspension of nuclear testing, which Stassen submitted on behalf of the Western powers to the disarmament subcommittee on August 21. (U.N. doc. DC/SC.1/PV.149) It is quoted in Documents on Disarmament, 1945–1959, vol. II, pp. 846–847.↩