840.70/11–2544: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 25—4:59 p.m.]
10409. From EITO Delegation. Noel-Baker and Hooker met this morning with General Obydin. They informed him that our two Delegations had devoted themselves in the recent interval to trying to redraft the agreement along lines that we felt should meet the Soviet views as well as the views of the other delegations. They emphasized that SHAEF was pressing very hard for the early establishment of the organization. They said that our hope therefore was to be able to set up an organization as soon as possible that would be one which, so far as technical considerations are concerned, the Soviets would feel able to participate in, and in which, as soon as the political considerations were cleared, they would participate. They then gave him the revised texts of Article III, section 5, Article IV, Article VII, section 2 (pointing out that this entailed the deletion of Article VIII, section 4), and of Article VIII, section 5. They stated that they believed these were the major provisions on which the views of our three Delegations had not been in accord, and that for the moment they were submitting only the redrafts of these provisions, in order to simplify their consideration, and with the expectation that if the Soviets could approve of them, the balance of the text of the agreement should present no great difficulties. They also informed him that a complete revision of the agreement had been put in the hands of Massigli.
Obydin, after stating that there was, of course, another point of paramount importance which had held up the work of the Conference and which remained unsolved, said that he would be glad to go over with his Delegation the provisions which had been handed to him and would make every effort to acquaint us with their views at the [Page 885] earliest possible moment, although he did not indicate any specific date. He indicated no surprise at our emphasis on the necessity, on military grounds, of proceeding promptly with the formation of EITO, and so far as could be judged from what he failed to say rather than what he said, appeared to take for granted the necessity of our going ahead even without their initial participation.
There was no mention of an interim arrangement or “stop gap” organization.
The atmosphere of the meeting was cordial. [EITO Delegation.]