840.70/10–2844: Telegram
The Chargé in the United Kingdom (Gallman) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 28—10:27 a.m.]
9316. For Berle from EITO Delegation. ReEmbs 9258, October 27. At its meeting on Friday, October 27, the main committee discussed Article VIII of the draft agreement, particularly sections 4 and 5 of that Article. The tendency of the Continentals to agree with the United States-United Kingdom position in opposition to the Soviets continued. The Soviet Delegation reiterated its arguments against section 4 which it wishes to delete and section 5 which it wishes to amend to read “every member government shall fully facilitate the exercise of the functions of the organization under section 6 of Article VII,” leaving out the specific obligation of members to put into effect the recommendation of the organization. (The committee had agreed to substitution of the word “recommendations” for “directions” in the original text.) We emphasized, in discussing section 5, the fundamental differences in concept behind the apparently verbal differences between the two versions, as well as the point raised by the Department’s 8950 of October 26. In both cases only the Yugoslavs supported the position of the Soviet Delegation, the others (Luxemburg being absent) agreeing that section 4 of Article VIII is inseparable from section 2 of Article VII, while discussion of section 5 brought statements from all the delegations other than the Yugoslavs that the organization to be effective needs some authority along the lines of section 5.
At the conclusion of the discussions of these sections the chairman asked the Soviets in view of the virtual unanimity of opinion expressed if they would not think the matter over. After discussion of other controversial sections of Article VII, the committee then adjourned until Monday morning, October 30, when it was planned to discuss the relatively non-controversial articles following Article VIII and possibly also Article III. However at the request of the Russians this Monday meeting has now been postponed. A meeting on Monday afternoon between the United States, United Kingdom and USSR Delegations and possibly the French is being considered. The British and Czechs believe the Russians have asked to see the head of the Czech Delegation over the weekend. He believes they wish to suggest that the latter Delegation offer a compromise solution.