Editorial Note
In March 1951, Gunnar Myrdal. Executive Secretary of the Economic Commission for Europe (ECE), one of the three United Nations Regional Economic Commissions, began to pursue the idea of convening an ad hoc East-West grains meeting sometime during 1951 to follow up on the results of the first meeting of this type held in November of 1950. The United States Delegation to the ECE, supported by the Department of State, opposed Myrdal’s suggestion on the grounds that an East-West trade meeting could not be constructive in the present international climate and might be a political fiasco for the West. (Telegram 716 to Geneva, March 14, 340.240/3–151)
When the Sixth Session of the ECE met in Geneva, May 29–June 13, discussions were held concerning a possible trade meeting but the results were inconclusive. In July Myrdal continued his efforts by inviting various members of ECE to send a delegation of experts to Geneva [Page 1223] for preparatory meetings. On July 15 Myrdal was informed by the Soviet Government that they were willing to participate in a preliminary meeting of experts (Telegram 55 from Geneva, July 16, 340.240/ 7–1651), but the United States agreed to participate only as observers (Telegram 721 to Geneva, July 31, 340.240/7–2751). Experts from the United Kingdom, France, Denmark, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, the Soviet Union, Poland, Hungary, and Romania met in Geneva from August 20 through August 29 to explore the possibilities of East-West trade but the sessions ended with no concrete results. While the Soviets attempted to get agreement in principle to a full trade meeting later in the year, the delegations from Western Europe preferred to confine the next stage to straight bilateral talks and were not willing to commit themselves to a multilateral trade meeting in the near future. (Telegram 208 from Geneva, August 29, 340.240/8–2951)
On November 2 the Soviet Government asked Myrdal to circulate a Soviet request for a meeting of the Trade Committee to all members of ECE. (Telegram 383 from Geneva, November 5, 340.240/11–551) When Myrdal consulted the Governments of the United States, the United Kingdom, and France, he was informed that they believed that nothing constructive would be accomplished by such a trade meeting at this time. These views were communicated to the Soviet Government in an aide-mémoire from Myrdal on November 24. (Telegram 420 from Geneva, November 30, 340.240/11–3051) In reply, the Soviet Government informed Myrdal on December 21 that it considered it advisable to postpone the discussion of a conference of European countries on trade until the convening of the Seventh Session of the ECE the following year. (Telegram 465 from Geneva, December 21, 340.240/ 12–2151)
Documentation concerning the ECE and the unsuccessful attempts by Executive Secretary Myrdal to convene an East-West trade meeting during 1951 is in Department of State file 340.240. For a summary of the activities of the ECE in 1951, see the Annual Report of the Economic Commission for Europe, E/2002 (E/ECE/130).