840.48 Refugees/4150: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 13—1:50 a.m.]
5305. My 5228, August 9, 8 p.m., and Department’s 4815, August 10, 5 p.m. I have now received the complete recommendations of the meeting of August 4th which are embodied in a communication from the Director to member Governments of the Intergovernmental Committee. Text will be forwarded by airmail.74
The following two points, in addition to the omission of the word “equally” in connection with the sharing of the administrative expenses of the Executive Committee (which has already been reported to the Department) were omitted from the text although they are implied: (1) That all projects and the financing thereof be considered individually and the American and British Governments consulted before any favorable decision is taken thereon in view of the agreement of those Governments to underwrite the expenses of the Committee’s operations, and (2) that the headquarters of the Intergovernmental Committee be continued in London.
I immediately took up with Sir Herbert Emerson the matter of the textual inclusion of these two points in the recommendations to member Governments as desired by the Department. He foresees no objection to agreement on the part of the member Governments to include the desired phraseology as a clarification of the original minutes and as an addition to the recommendations made by the Executive Committee.
With Winterton’s approval he is taking up these two points individually and informally with the members of the Executive Committee. Also with Winterton’s approval, Emerson discussed the question of the recommendation regarding the equal sharing of the administrative expenses of the Committee with the Foreign Office which seemed to approve but which did reserve the right to reconsider in case objection develops. Emerson now proposes to approach members of the Executive Committee informally and individually regarding this point, although he feels that this may be the occasion of some disagreement. He is not clear as to (a) exactly what the “administrative expenses [Page 206] of the Executive Committee” are intended to include and (b) whether it is proposed that these expenses be shared equally by members of the Executive Committee alone or by members of the Intergovernmental Committee as a whole. The Department’s instructions on these points are requested.
As regards a statement to the press concerning the meeting of August 4th, it was agreed by the Executive Committee at that time that the press communiqué quoted in our telegram No. 5303, August 12, should be given out by the Director’s office to all newspapers and domestic and foreign news services. It was agreed that this should be brief and do little more than state the fact of meeting in that it was felt that the reaction on Governments would not be favorable if they just learned of recommendations of the Executive Committee through the press.
It appears that due to lack of space this communiqué was not referred to or published in any way in England insofar as the Embassy can ascertain. I propose, however, to have an early discussion with the Foreign Office to endeavor to prepare a statement to the press which could be released jointly by our two Governments. Any draft agreed upon would of course be submitted in advance to the Department for approval.
My reference in my 5138, August 6, 7 p.m.,75 to a meeting in Washington was through inadvertence since it was agreed at the meeting on August 4th that no plenary meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee would be necessary.