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September 15, 1961

PROPOSAL FOR A STATEMENT TO BE ISSUED
BY THE CONFERENCE
by Leo Szilard

I propose that the meeting consider the advisability of in-
structing the committee to draft a statement which may run some-
what along the following lines:

"The Conference on Disarmament and World Security which has taken place in Stowe, Vermont, U.S.A. from September 11 to September 16, 1961, was attended by 43 scientists from 11 countries. Their names are given in the attached list. All participants in the Conference shared the common concern for the establishment of a stable peace which has been previously expressed in the Vienna Declaration of September 1958. Problems related to disarmament and world security were discussed at the Conference (in a spirit of friendship, and guided by a desire for mutual understanding, as seen by me)."

"The obstacles which today stand in the path of general and complete disarmament would be largely removed if the nations involved were to reach a meeting of the minds on how peace may be secured in a disarmed world and on the means through which the nations could convince each other that there are no major secret evasions of the disarmament agreement."

"In addition to these and other issues, the Conference discussed a number of issues relevant to the problems of disarmament by stages. A variety of views were expressed on some of these issues and frequently the division of opinion was not along national lines."

"Different subcommittees dealt with different issues. A number of the subcommittees reached a meeting of the minds and submitted tentative proposals which will serve as a basis for further study."

"The Conference was held at a time when the international situation had greatly deteriorated. The Conference examined the causes for this deterioration which led to the resumption of bomb tests, but no consensus was reached in this regard."

"The participants of the Conference were agreed in their appraisal that there would be a serious danger that a war may break out that none of the nations want, were the situation to deteriorate much further. It was, therefore, considered imperative that the governments involved act without delay to prevent further deterioration. It would be above all desirable to arrive at a political settlement concerning Europe that would open the door to the adoption of a constructive approach to the problem of disarmament and the securing of the peace in a disarmed world."