COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS The original resolution provided that the proposed subcommittee should consist of 8 members from the Committee on Foreign Relations and 2 additional members from the Senate at large. The Foreign Relations Committee felt that it was desirable to provide that the number of members from the Committee on Foreign Relations should be reduced to 6 and that specific provision should be made for 4 additional members to be chosen from the Committee on Armed Services and the Joint Committee on Atomic Energy. The resolution as reported, therefore, provides that 6 Senators are to be chosen from the Committee on Foreign Relations, 2 Senators from the Committee on Armed Services, and 2 Senators from the Joint Committee on Atomic Energy. The members from the Foreign Relations Committee and the chairman of the subcommittee are to be selected by the chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations. The members from the Armed Services and Atomic Energy Committees are to be selected by the President of the Senate. Both political parties are to have equal representation on the subcommittee. NEED FOR THE STUDY Since the end of the war, the United Nations has been engaged in seeking ways to control the size of armed forces, the manufacture of armaments, and the control of weapons of mass destruction. Although shortly after the war the number of men under arms in the free nations was drastically reduced, in recent years armed forces have increased in size. During the same period, the destructive qualities of conventional arms as well as atomic weapons have increased. While the international negotiations carried on under the auspices. of the United Nations have not culminated in agreement, they have narrowed and clarified the areas of disagreement. Despite continued Soviet rejection of proposals relative to the control of atomic and conventional weapons and the use of meetings of United Nations. disarmament groups as sounding boards for Soviet propaganda, there have been indications in recent months that some progress may be made in controlling armaments. Members of the Senate have indicated their increasing concern in recent years at the lack of progress being made in achieving some degree of disarmament. During the 83d Congress, the Senate agreed to Senate Resolution 150 which associated the Senate with the President's proposals of April 16, 1953, for the limitation of armaments "to the end that a greater proportion of the world's productive capacity may be used for peaceful purposes and for the well-being of mankind." During the present Congress several measures have been introduced with wide senatorial support calling for action which might promote disarmament. The committee is under no illusion that the creation of this subcommittee will lead to the development of a foolproof system of disarmament. It does believe, however, that it is essential for the Senate to have a group of Members which will be familiar with action that has been taken in recent years to promote disarmament, proposals that have been made but not accepted for various reasons, and plans that may be submitted in the future. In the event progress can be made in the years immediately ahead which might lead to proposals being submitted to the Congress for its approval, it would be most helpful to the Senate to have a body of information available upon which it might base its judgment. It is essential that the subcommittee maintain the closest liaison with the Executive in conducting its study. COST OF THE STUDY The subcommittee is asked to report the results of its study to the full Foreign Relations Committee, which is to transmit the report to the Senate, not later than March 31, 1956. Although it is probable that the study contemplated will take longer than the approximately 9 months authorized by the pending resolution, the committee felt that the subcommittee should submit at least a preliminary report by early next year. Such a report would make it possible for the Senate to consider at that time further extension of the proposed subcommittee. It is estimated that the first 9 months of operations will cost in the neighborhood of $50,000. This sum is based on a budget set forth in a request to the Committee on Rules for the necessary funds. The Foreign Relations Committee urges the Subcommittee on Disarmament to keep its expenses low by utilization of as much material as possible that has been brought together by Government agencies, and by the use of the Foreign Relations Committee staff and of the facilities of the Legislative Reference Service of the Library of Congress. Use of special consultants and similar services for which payment may be necessary should be kept to a minimum. 210. SENATE RESOLUTION APPOINTING A SUBCOMMITTEE TO WORK TOWARD THE goal of WORLD DISARMAMENT, JULY 25, 1955 1 Whereas the American people and the Congress have long been concerned that the peoples of the earth are plunged into vast armament expenditures which divert much of their effort into the creation of means of mass destruction; and Whereas they have sought the achievement of a reliable system by which steps might be taken to limit and reduce the size of military forces and to insure the control of weapons of mass destruction; and Whereas the President of the United States has recently established a position of Cabinet rank with responsibility for developing broad studies, investigations, and recommendations regarding the basic policy of this Nation with respect to disarmament; and Whereas the President indicated that when "desirable or appropriate under our constitutional processes, concurrences will be secured from the Congress prior to specific action or pronouncement of policy" in this field: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That a subcommittee of the Committee on Foreign Relations (hereinafter referred to as the Committee), to consist of six members chosen equally from both parties by the chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee (in conjunction with four Senators, members of the Committee on Armed Services and two Senators, members of the Joint Committee on Atomic Energy, chosen equally from both parties, to be designated by the President of the Senate), 1 S. Res. 93, 84th Congress, 1st session. is hereby authorized and directed to make a full and complete study of proposals looking toward disarmament and the control of weapons of mass destruction. The chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee shall designate the chairman of the subcommittee. SEC. 2. The said Committee shall, without limiting the scope of the study hereby authorized, direct its attention to the following matters 1. Efforts made by the United Nations in seeking the control and reduction of military forces and armaments of all types; 2. Disarmament proposals developed by the United States and other governments as well as by private groups and individuals; 3. Methods by which the attitudes of the American people and their government on the subject of disarmament and world peace may be communicated abroad; 4. The relationship of armaments to the state of the world economy; 5. The relationship of underlying international tension to the problems of disarmament; 6. The dangers implicit in unilateral reduction of armaments; and 7. Methods of assuring that plans for reduction of armaments shall not endanger the security of the United States. SEC. 3. The Committee on Foreign Relations shall transmit to the Senate not later than January 31, 1956, the provisional results of the study herein authorized together with such recommendations as may by that time be found desirable. SEC. 4. In the conduct of this study, full use shall be made of studies, reports, and plans prepared by executive agencies concerned with this problem and such agencies are requested to give the Committee the assistance it may require. SEC. 5. For the purpose of this resolution, the Committee is authorized to employ on a temporary basis through January 31, 1956, such technical, clerical, or other assistants, experts, and consultants as it deems desirable. The expenses of the Committee under this resolution, which shall not exceed $25,000, shall be paid from the contingent fund of the Senate upon vouchers approved by the chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations. 211. REPORT ¡OF THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS ON FAVORING A REDUCTION OF ARMAMENTS WITH A VIEW TO IMPROVING WORLD LIVING STANDARDS, JULY 27, 1955 1 The Committee on Foreign Relations, having had under consideration a resolution (S. Res. 71) favoring a reduction of armaments with a view to improving world living standards, reports the same to the Senate and recommends that it do pass. MAIN PURPOSE OF RESOLUTION This resolution proposes that the President of the United States present to the United Nations the suggestion that steps be taken to explore the possibilities of limiting the proportion of every nation's 1 U. S. Congress. Senate. Report No. 1173, 84th Congress, 1st session. resources devoted to military purposes to the end that a steadily greater proportion of such resources may be devoted to improving the living standards of the people. It recognizes that undertakings by nations to limit their military production must be accompanied by the creation of adequate means of inspection and control of armaments. In order that this purpose may be accomplished, the resolution provides that consideration should be given to the following principles: An adequate number of key resources be selected and standards be drawn up for determining what ratio of each of these resources should be set as a maximum ceiling limiting the proportion of each of these resources which may be utilized for military purposes. Along with each such ceiling adequate measures of inspection and control be enforced to prevent the diversion or conversion for military purposes of resources committed for peaceful uses, also that any such acts of diversion or conversion be considered automatic evidence of aggressive intent. The ceilings limiting the possible military uses should be set to attain a major increase in living levels, to provide adequate warning before any of these resources can be converted to war production and to contribute to other arms and armament controls. These ceilings be subject to periodic revision by agreement among the participating nations with the view of providing balanced security and progressively to increase the proportion of all resources to be committed to peaceful uses, provided that it be recognized a "freeze" of existing resources allocations cannot be taken as a starting stage because it would freeze a pattern of continuing aggression for some nations, while keeping others relatively defenseless. Ceilings upon the military uses of these key resources be established to the end that no nation's economic expansion be curbed. In setting such ceilings, allowance be made for the special economic needs of individual nations, particularly those with underdeveloped economies COMMITTEE ACTION Senator Symington, joined by a bipartisan group of 44 other Senators, later increased by 3, introduced Senate Resolution 71 on March 2, 1955. At a public hearing on June 7, 1955, Senator Symington and Samuel Lubell presented the case for the resolution. On July 27, 1955, the committee voted without objection to report the resolution for favorable Senate action. WHAT THE RESOLUTION DOES In his statement before the committee, Senator Symington explained the principles of the resolution in the following words: The proposal of Senate Resolution 71-to limit the proportion of key resources a nation could use for arms, so that more could be used for civilian goods-gets down to the kind of elementals every man, woman, and child can understand. It emphasizes that fewer guns would mean more food, clothing, shelter, and the good things of life. The purpose of this resolution is to focus attention on this fact. if the Communists accepted the idea, it would work like this: Specifically, 1. An adequate number of key resources of a country, such as steel, would be selected; and agreement would be sought on the proportion of each, in each country, that could be used for arms. 2. An inspection and control system would be set up to guarantee against violations. A violation would be prima facie evidence of aggressive intent. 3. The ceilings on military use of key resources would be set so as to attain a major increase in living standards; and at the same time provide adequate warning before they could be converted to war purpose. 4. There would be periodic review, and revision, of ceilings, to provide balanced security; and progressively to increase the ratio to be used for peaceful purposes. 5. The plan would attempt no "freeze" of the present levels of production, because it would freeze a pattern of continuing aggression for some countries, and leave others relatively defenseless. 6. There would be no curbing of any nation's industrial expansion-only a limit on the amount of it to be devoted to armaments. Allowance would also have to be made for special economic needs of underdeveloped countries. EXECUTIVE BRANCH COMMENT The executive branch submitted its comments on the resolution in the following letter which is reprinted for the information of the Senate: Hon. WALTER F. GEORGE, Chairman, Committee on Foreign Relations, DEPARTMENT OF STATE, United States Senate. DEAR SENATOR GEORGE: Reference is made to your letter of March 11, 1955, requesting comments on Senate Resolution 71, a resolution favoring a reduction of armaments with a view to improving world living standards. The Department of State is in full accord with the underlying objective of reducing armaments with a view to improving living standards. As stated by the President on April 16, 1953, "This Government is ready to ask its people to join with all nations in devoting a substantial percentage of the savings achieved by disarmament to a fund for world aid and reconstruction." Senate Resolution 71 requests the President to propose to the United Nations a disarmament program based on limitations imposed on the proportion of a nation's key resources authorized for military purposes. Among the considerations included in the President's statement of April 16 as pertinent to a program to reduce the burden of armaments, was an agreement by all nations to limit the proportion of certain strategic materials to be devoted to military purposes. Though these two proposals are comparable, it should be noted that in the President's formulation the limitations on strategic materials represent only one of five complementary approaches to the attainment of disarmament. The other four are: (1) Limitations on the size of military and security forces of all nations, (2) international control of atomic energy to promote its use for peaceful purposes only, (3) a limitation or prohibition of other categories of weapons of great destructiveness, and (4) enforcement of adequate safeguards under the United Nations. While these five complementary approaches do not necessarily represent the only considerations which must be taken into account to formulate a disarmament program consistent with our national security interests, it is clear that only a carefully selected combination of them could form the basis of a disarmament agreement which fully protects United States security. It is of particular importance in any disarmament program that provisions for the international control of atomic energy and other nuclear weapons be included. With the foregoing in mind, the Department suggests that any resolution on this subject should allow discretion to the President in determining the precise nature and timing of further United States proposals to the United Nations on the question of disarmament. The Department appreciates that Senate Resolution 71 represents a timely indication of further initiative and interest on this supremely important question which recent events have once again placed uppermost in the public mind throughout the world. The Department has been informed by the Bureau of the Budget that there is no objection to the submission of this report. Sincerely yours, THRUSTON B. MORTON, RECOMMENDATION The committee took note of the suggestion of the Department of State in the foregoing letter to the effect that resolutions on such subjects as this "should allow discretion to the President in determining |