Department of State Atomic Energy Files
Memorandum by Mr. Edmund A. Gullion to the Under Secretary of State ( Acheson )
The French have suggested to the British that a patents’ pool should be established either (1) between the French and U.K. Governments or (2) between the French, U.K., and U.S. Governments. They have also suggested that the U.K. Government might be prepared to enter into closer cooperation with the French Government in the general fields of atomic energy.
The British have already explained that they cannot establish a French-U.K. pool and propose to state that the time is not ripe for a French-U.K.-U.S. pool. They want to say, however, that they are anxious to see closer relations in the general sphere (not only in patents) established between the French, themselves and the U.S. Munro of the British Embassy here has written me a letter (attached)1 enclosing a memorandum requesting the comments of “the American side”.
Mr. Marks2 suggests, and I agree, that it would be better to give our answer informally to someone from the British Embassy rather than in a written reply.
- (a)
- Do you concur?
- (b)
- Do you approve my telling Munro the following:3
“I refer to the the memorandum transmitted by your letter of February 10, 1947, concerning United States and United Kingdom relations with France in respect of atomic energy.
“With regard to the suggestion put forward by Professor Joliot, we concur in the answers your government has made or proposes to make to the proposals indicated as A (i) and A (ii) in your memorandum.
“We can have no objection to your government’s informing the French that it is anxious ‘to see closer relations established in this field between the French, the Americans’ and itself. For our own part, however, we cannot see our way clear to extending the basis of cooperation with the French at this time. As you are aware, Public Law 585 (The Atomic Energy Act of 1946) contains a number of restrictions with respect to the international aspects of atomic energy and specifically prescribes that there shall be no exchange of information with other countries on industrial uses until Congress has declared by joint resolution that effective and enforceable safeguards exist against its use for destructive purposes. Our domestic Atomic Energy Commission is only now beginning its task and the Act has been in force only a short time.
[Page 802]“Furthermore, as you point out, the matter should be considered later in the light of the results of the discussions in the United Nations commission.”4