111. Advisory Committee/14
The Secretary of State to President Roosevelt 2
My Dear Mr. President: In accordance with your desire, recently expressed to me and to the Under Secretary of State, that the Department of State continue and expand its work of preparation for this country’s effective participation in the solution of the vast and complicated problems of international relations which will confront us and the world after the final defeat of the forces of aggression and that, for that purpose, a Special Committee be created in the Department under my chairmanship, I am gladly taking appropriate steps to carry out your wishes.
Enclosed herewith for your approval is a proposed list of members3 of what is to be known as The Advisory Committee on Post-War Foreign Policy consisting of several officials of the Government and of several prominent persons from outside the Government possessing special qualifications for contributing to the performance of the important task in view. As the work develops, it may be found advisable to expand the membership of the Committee.
The Committee will be charged with the conduct of the necessary studies and the preparation of recommendations to be submitted to you. Its task will be to translate into a program of specific policies and measures the broad principles enunciated in the Atlantic Declaration4 and in your other pronouncements on post-war policy. It will, accordingly, work in the inseparably interrelated fields of general security, limitation of armaments, sound international economic relationships, and other phases of international cooperation, the implementation of which is essential to enduring world peace and to economic progress.
[Page 595]In all these fields, the Committee will establish and maintain close contact with all appropriate Departments and agencies of the Government, and with such nongovernmental agencies as may be in a position to contribute to an all-round consideration of the problems involved. It will also establish and maintain close contact with all agencies working in the field of domestic post-emergency problems, in order that due weight may be given to the necessary interrelation of domestic and international policies and measures.
All this would be for the purpose of making sure that the recommendations submitted to you would adequately take into account all points of view as regards desirable improvements upon, or modifications of, old systems, as well as such wholly new solutions as may be found possible and necessary.
Since it is your further desire that all recommendations regarding post-war problems of international relations from all Departments and agencies of the Government be submitted to you through the Secretary of State, and that all conversations or negotiations with foreign governments bearing on post-war problems be conducted, under your authority, by or through the Department of State, I should appreciate it if you would cause the heads of the various Departments and agencies concerned to be apprised of your wishes.
Finally, pursuant to your instructions in the matter, adequate research and other facilities needed for the functioning of the Committee will be set up in the Department of State or under its leadership. For this purpose, an emergency allocation of funds will be necessary, the actual amounts to be worked out by the Department with the Director of the Budget. In view of the urgent need for expanding as soon as possible the Department’s existing facilities in this respect, I trust that you will see fit to approve such allocation of funds.
Faithfully yours,