Cablegram United Nations 232 NEW YORK, 28 June 1946, 6.02 p.m.
IMMEDIATE SECRET
Atomic 12.
1. The Working Committee appointed by the Atomic Energy Commission last Tuesday held its first meeting this morning, Dr. Evatt presiding. The United States representative submitted a chart analyzing the area of agreement and disagreement disclosed by statements made at Plenary Sessions by various delegations.
Subject to some qualifications by delegations of the views described to them, this was welcomed as a useful contribution to further studies. Various ideas were briefly discussed and Gromyko again stressed the Soviet view that the first step should be to prepare the draft convention regarding atomic weapons.
2. Eventually, however, the Committee adopted unanimously the Chairman’s view that a small sub-committee should be appointed to prepare the framework of a plan which could be taken as the basis for further work by the Commission. This sub-committee, while not attempting to settle controversial points, should be able to prepare a working document on which the examination of problems of atomic energy and the preparations of proposals could be based.
Its work will therefore be of great importance in giving shape to the Commission’s work.
3. The Chairman was given authority to decide on the exact number and to name the members of this sub-committee and to call it together next Monday or Tuesday. This action by to-day’s meeting was both a mark of confidence in the Chairman and an acceptance of Australian initiative.
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[AA:A1838 T184,720/1, i]