THE UNITED STATES Government is ready and willing to go to the Security Council for a full discussion of the Soviets wanton shooting down of the United States Air force RB-47 airplane in international waters July 1.
This Government itself had contemplated recourse to the Security Council but only after trying the bi-lateral remedies specified in the United Nations Charter. The United States has in fact proposed in its note of July 12 to the Soviet Government that a joint investigation be made. The Soviet Government has ignored the provisions of the Charter which call upon the parties to an international dispute to attempt to settle their differences by negotiation or similar means prior to any action within the United Nations itself.
The United States will focus attention in the Security Council on the lawless actions and reckless threats of the Soviet Government.
Note: The Press Secretary to the President, in a release dated July 12, stated that the American RB-47 plane was over international waters and at no time flew over Soviet territory, Soviet territorial waters, or Soviet air space. "The shooting down of this plane, as the Soviet Government alleges," the release continued, "can only have been a deliberate and reckless attempt to create an international incident." The release further stated that the plane had been missing 11 days and that it had been reported that at least one Soviet ship was assisting, in good faith, in the search for the missing aircraft. "Any attempt to connect the flight of this aircraft with the U-2 flight of May is completely without foundation and the Soviet authorities, including Mr. Khrushchev, know this," the release added:
The note of July 12 to the Soviet Government is published in the Department of State Bulletin (vol. 43, p. 163).
The President's statement was released at the U.S. Naval Base, Newport, R.I.
Dwight D. Eisenhower, Statement by the President on the Downing of an RB-47 Plane by the U.S.S.R. Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/235065