548.Gl/201a: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant)
3128. The conference on refugees at Bermuda having been terminated the American and British Governments have the recommendations of the conferees. These recommendations require action by and in respect of the Intergovernmental Committee on Refugees. Both Governments desiring speedily to implement the recommendations of the conferees, a meeting should be called of the Executive Committee of the Intergovernmental Committee to be followed in short order by a meeting of the full Committee.
We wish you to approach Mr. Eden at once and ask him to propose on behalf of this Government to the Chairman of the Intergovernmental Committee that he convoke at the earliest practicable date a meeting of the Executive Committee, at a place to be agreed upon by the Governments members of the Executive Committee. (In view of the French situation50 we agree that the sending of any invitation to the French representative should be omitted.) Please inform Mr. Eden that this Government would be agreeable to Washington as the place of both meetings, in which event we would suggest that the Executive Committee meet on June 1 in Washington under the present chairmanship and that the full Committee meet also in Washington shortly thereafter at the call of the Executive Committee. As the Food Conference51 opens on May 18 arrangements for the refugee conference cannot well be made before June 1. Besides some time will be necessary to notify the member Governments and to permit them to appoint and instruct their representatives. It is assumed [Page 181] that, in the large number of cases at least, those representatives will be the chiefs of mission here so that the meeting need not long be delayed.
This message has been seen and approved by the President.