https://declassified.library.utoronto.ca/files/original/be7c9d3591f92a7d0d07c4e480ca9c13.pdf 5d55aae466fb71af8194086a8759f938 PDF Text Text Document disclosed under the Access to Information Act Document divulge en vertu de la Loi suri’acces a I'information Copy No. 5 of five copies. Ext. 182B FILE COPY OTTAWA FILE No WISER Letter No. .. ................................................ Date.. .Sept ember .28th,. 1951. •. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION WISER • TOP SECRET FROM: The Canadian Ambassador, Hashington, TO: THE UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR EXTERNAL AFFAIRS, CANADA Reference Subject:.... SpitichmAmordce Consultations, on Abomic Questionea Copies Referred To......... No. of Enclosures Post File No 1. Since my roturn to Washington early this month I have been giving some consideration to the future of the "Consultations" which we have been having with the State Department on developments which might give rise to the use of atomic weapons. I expect to' ■ send you a letter within a few days (possibly by the bag that will carry this letter) with some conments and suggestions. This lottor reports a discussion which took place at ny request on Septombor 25th with the ■ British Ambassador, at which Hr. Ignatieff and Mr. F. 67. Marton of the British Embassy were also present. The chief purpose of this discussion was to securo information from Sir Oliver Franks on what had been going on with regard to the more or less parallel consultations between him and the Department of State. 2. ' Sir Oliver began by referring to the difficulties he had encountered in securing a clear statement of the views of the United States authorities on the paper on Atomic Warfare prepared by the United Kingdom Chiefs of Staff. Sir Oliver dosoribed this paper as "the stop-lino papor". A full summary of it was given in the enclosuro to my Wiser- letter no. 8 of July 21st. Before Mr. Morrison’s recent arrival in Washington Sir Oliver asked Mr. Acheson to arrange a mooting at which tho views of the United States on this paper might be given to him, so that he could bring Mr. Morrison up to'date before ho entered into discussions with Mr. Acheson. Mre Achoson consulted Gonoral Bradley* and . 3. at his suggestion it was arranged that a preliminary mooting at the top Service level should bako place betwoon Air Chief Marshal Elliott and the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff. Gonoral' Bradley was not able to arrange this mooting until after Mr. Morrison’s arrival* and it took place on. September 11th. Sir Oliver said that it did not produce substantial results. The discussion was of a general naturo, but there was no marked difference of view on the circumstances which might lead to general war with the Soviet Union. The chief differences* as might bo expected* were ovor the Par Last. The U.S. Joint Chiofs took the stand that overt intervention by Soviet forces in Korea or any Soviet attack on Japan would be a casus belli for the United States. I infer that Air Chief Marshal Elliott was reluctant to agree that such events would lead to general war with the Soviet Union* and that he wished to leave open th© possibility that hostilities might be res trie tod. to the Far East. /4. 00395 �Document disclosed under the Access to Information Act ■ Document divulge en vertu de la Loi surl’acces a /’information - 2 - «■ ■ L. . ■. On the following day, September 12th, a moreproduc— tive consultation took place at the State Department with Sir ■ Oliver and Air Chief Marshal Elliott representing the United: Kingdom and Genoral Bradley and Messrs. Frooman Matthews -and 1 - Paul Nitze representing the United States. ■ Sir Oliver was .. relieved when the ■ U.S. officials took ■. the, initiative- in stating ■ that it was fully recognized in. Washington that the prior consent of the Waited Kingdom Government would have to be obtained before ' U.S. bases In the United Kingdom were used for atomic warfare, . This constitutes in effect an assurance to the United Kingdom ' o parallel to that given to Canada in the Minute which was accepted . at the meeting at the State Department on June 14th last (referenee uy letter Wiser No, l of June 15th). 5. . -Sir Oliver mentioned at this meeting that it might he necessary if questions were asked for the Prime Minister to make ■ a statement in Parliament. The officers--of the Department of . State agreed that this might be necessary and have prepared a draft of a possible statement, which has not yet been seen by Hr. Acheson. This statement would be based on the Truman” Attlee communique of December 8th, 1950, .and would'refer to . • continuing discussions between tho two governments for the purpose of reaching "a joint appraisal" of world conditions. 6. The word "consultations" wan not used in this draft, ■ although if is used in our own Agreed Minute. Sir Oliver . thinks" that this., word has rather more content.'as employedin Washington, than it has in London and cerries an implication of ■ - a commitment to reach a joint undors tanding. Mossrs. Matthews and Nitze -made it clear that, while consent would be required before operational use-of-the U.S. .bases in the United Kingdom, the.United States Government had to retain the right to determine . for themselves the circumstances in which the United States ■. would engage ..in war* They cited as an extreme example of what' might happen a direst "attack .oh- U.S. territory requiring re- ■ . tallatory action immediately without consultation with any other government*. They, of course, recognized that similar freedom - of action had to be- preserved by the United Kingdom and other governments. . . '. ■ '.. . 7. At this meeting the further assumption was accopted that war with the Soviet. Union would involve the use of atomic ■.'weapons* and therefore the discussions with the United Kingdom • on atomic warfare would be concerned with the circumstances which might give rise to general war*. It was agreed .that periodic .. discussions should continue on this basis*' On the U.S. side . It was suggested that circumstances leading to general war- could . . be considered under three classifications: . (a) critical situations as they might arise; . (b) hypothetical cases which,might .in future bring'a'danger " of gemeral -war* 'such as an attack on Yugoslavia* and ' (c) general considerations governing the possible lines of. . . conduct of the U.S. Government. 8. ' \ I gathered'from Sir Oliver that considerablo emphasis was laid on the U.S. side on the inability of the United States to enter into- any formal commitment as to the action they might take in any siven circumstance or as to the conditions in- which , they would consult- the-United Kingdom. They were prepared*' . however* to have discussions on a regular basis and also whenever any critical situation arose* , 9. It seems to me that the effect of this meeting with the British was to put the United Kingdom Government in a . . position similar to that which- the Canadian Government attained . ‘ " /Last June 00396 �Document disclosed under the Access to Information Act , Document divlg’en vertu de-la Loi surl’acces a /'information 3 * ..-last June with rogard both to arranging .for continuing discus- '• : sions on dangerous world developments and to securing consent . J ' for the employment of U.S. bases in the U.K. for atomic warfare. * Mr. Morrison, who seems not to have dircotly discussed these ' ' matters with Mr. Acheson, sent’from Washington a report of this . . . meeting, and Sir Oliver told mo that Ir. Attlee had nobed on. . the report that the position of the United Kingdom scemod to him ' ’ ' to he similar to that of Canada 'ha this regard. He also noted . . that the progress was goodr but that-he would refrain from comis . . mont until further roports were available,. 15 : Sir Oliver expects that he will shortly have a. further ... 10* meeting at the'- State Department, at which comments point by • i ■' point will be made by the U.S. representatives on the British ... paper on atomic warfare. He thins that the State Department _ . ' . - meetings are more profitable than meetings at .'top Service level . .... and that it ds atthom that further progress can be made. . ‘He and I agreed ’that wo would both still welcome the " . ll. . placing of these meetings on a three-cornered basis. The State "Department knows thatSirOlivorandIkeep in touch with oach i other on the subjects covered, but still seems to object to tri- . partito meetings*"- This objection, X think, is based only on the . ■ . risk of offending' the French Government and bringing about a . . demand for their participation.. I should not be surprised if . “the French Government were to seek parallel arrangemonts in . - any event if, as I expect, the new U.S. bases in Morocco are .. intended for possible use for the delivery of atomic weapons. ■ ■ 2* e . ’ . •*. . •-■’■' . . . H. 1. Mond * $" 3 5 ■ . : - ' ' • *• :.. .7 2 ■ HW imgm i ■ ’ .. 3' • * ' 2. ■ a .. R• . Al . 3 "th 4 •< 00397 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource CDNW (Wiser) Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource CDNW16669 Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context CDNW16669 Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Wiser Consultations, RG25-B-2, Volume number: 3094, Library and Archives Canada.