Memorandum of Telephone Conversation with Secretary of State Dean Acheson and Senator Brien McMahon

DECLASSIFIED E. O. 11652, Sec. 3(E) and S(D) or (E) 198 4 Dept. of State letter, August 7-33-33 Bor NLT HC NARS Date 4-27-76 July 18, 1949 MEMO OF TELEPHONE CONVERSATION ARCHIVES " RECORDS 'MATIONAL AND SERVICK Participants: Senator McMahon Secretary Acheson Senator McMahon telephoned me to say that he had had a conference with Senator Vandenberg who was considerably exercized over the Thursday night meeting at the White House. Senator Vandenberg told McMahon that Senators Knowland and Millikin had presented their resignations from the Joint Atomic Energy Committee. Senator McMahon has seen the one from Senator Millikin which was based on the ground that he did not wish to remain a member of a Committee when he could not agree with certain policies of the Committee. Senator McMahon said that he pointed out that it seemed to him juvenile for a Senator to resign from a Committee because he did not approve of certain proposed policies; that he would think the Senator could accomplish his purpose better by staying on the Committee and arguing against policies he did not approve. Senator McMahon said that he was under the impression the letters were in the nature of a stageshow. Senator McMahon said also that he was shown a resolution directed to him as Chairman of the Commission calling upon him to get in touch with the Secretary of State to say that the Committee was of the opinion that nothing should be done looking towards discussions with the British until the Joint Committee had been fully informed. Senator McMahon said this resolution was to have been presented at a 9:30 meeting this morning, which meeting the Senator had called off. I said that, of course, as he knew and as had been mentioned at the Thursday night meeting, there was no intention of proceeding until the Joint Committee had been informed. We then discussed the question of a meeting date with the Joint Committee. I said I had been engaged in negotiations with Under Secretary of Defense Early to find a convenient date at which both Secretary Johnson and General Eisenhower could be present. Mr. Early had just confirmed the fact that Wednesday afternoon at 2:30 or 3 o'clock would be satisfactory to these gentlemen. I had asked Mr. Arneson to get in touch with Senator McMahon to see whether this CORCERN