Cablegram UN997 NEW YORK, 11 December 1946, 11.12 p.m.
SECRET
Assembly 404. Disarmament.
1. The Drafting Group this morning considered position created by the United Kingdom amendment to the resolution on troops (Assembly 395 and 396). [1] Spaak attempted to persuade Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and United Kingdom to withdraw all previous proposals on troops and to substitute amendment to paragraph four of disarmament resolutions, [2] calling upon Member States to report to the next Assembly action taken to give effect to recommendations of paragraph four. However, inevitable conflict arose as to whether this should apply to all forces or only to forces abroad. No agreement could be reached.
2. Disarmament Resolution (for text see our immediately preceding telegram [3]) was therefore referred back to sub-Committee, together with United Kingdom amendment on troops.
3. We regard this text as unsatisfactory and in conjunction with Canada and after discussion with United Kingdom and United States will press tomorrow in sub-Committee for amendments to make clear beyond [doubt]- (A) that the plans formulated by the Security Council will be considered by the Assembly or an International Conference before submission to Member States for ratification.
(B) that control system must be established concurrently with agreements to prohibit or reduce armaments.
(C) that the case [for] atomic energy control to ensure use peaceful pur-poses must be part of the plan, and that the present resolution does not in any way modify terms of reference of the Atomic Energy Commission.
4. We are active to combat increasing tendency on the part of our Allies to accept ambiguous and plausible compromises.
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1 When, during 10 December plenary debate on the U.K. draft resolution requesting information on armed forces, Molotov had offered to accept a system of international verification provided it encom passed armaments as well as armed forces, the United Kingdom had introduced an amendment calling on members to ‘submit particulars of their armaments of different categories’ in return for the establishment of an International Supervisory Commission whose powers were limited to verification and confirmation.
2 See Document 313.
3 Presumably Document 313.
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[AA:A1838/2, 852/10/4]