Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1943, General, Volume I

840.50/2567a: Circular telegram

The Secretary of State to Certain Diplomatic Representatives ¹⁵

Washington, September 21, 1943—9 p.m.

Department’s circular telegram of June 9 and circular instruction of August 23. You are requested to present a note to the appropriate official of the Government to which you are accredited on September 23 or as soon thereafter as possible, using the following text as the body of the note. The introductory paragraphs of the note will be sent to you by separate telegram.¹⁶ Similar notes will be presented to all of the other Governments which received the draft agreement and to the French Committee of National Liberation. The texts of these notes are being communicated to the respective diplomatic representatives in Washington for their information.¹⁷ Please request the Government to which you are accredited to hold the text of the draft agreement confidential until 9:00 p.m. Eastern War Time, September 23. Release for publication can then be made simultaneously in all countries at that hour.

“Since the draft agreement was first presented my Government has received a number of suggestions from the Governments concerned with respect to modification of the draft and all of these suggestions have been studied with care. As a result the draft agreement has been modified to a considerable degree in an effort to improve the plan and to clarify the language. It is the hope of my Government that your Government will share the opinion that the text submitted herewith¹⁸ is now in the form in which it will be most acceptable to all of the Governments which have been giving consideration to this matter.

Many Governments have stressed the urgent need of prompt action on the lines proposed. The Government of the United States fully shares this sense of urgency and is taking the initiative therefore in placing before each of the Governments concerned the following specific proposals:

1. That each Government inform the Government of the United States at the earliest possible moment whether it is prepared to sign the draft agreement in the form in which it is now presented.

2. That each Government also inform the Government of the United States as to whether it is prepared to sign the agreement without any reservation under Article IX. It is hoped that all Governments can take this action so that the agreement may enter into force immediately after signature with respect to all signing Governments.

3. That each Government appoint a representative with full power and authority to join with the representatives of the other Governments in signing the agreement at the White House in Washington on or about November 9.

4. That each Government select in advance its representative on the Council of the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration which will be brought into existence by signature of the agreement, and such alternates, advisers and assistants to this representative as it shall wish to have present at the first session of the Council.

5. That the Council of the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration be convened in its first session at a place within the United States but outside of Washington a day or two after signature of the agreement.

It will be appreciated if your Government will transmit its views with respect to these proposals to my Government as promptly as possible.

The Government of the United States is prepared to make specific arrangements for signature of the agreement and for the first session of the Council and it will transmit information regarding such arrangements to each Government planning to sign the agreement. If it would be helpful to other Governments in reaching a decision as to the size and character of the delegations to be chosen to attend the first session of the Council, my Government also will transmit to such Governments information regarding the general character of the delegation which will represent the Government of the United States.

In order to expedite action by the Council, my Government will be prepared also, as the host Government, to lay before the Council for its consideration drafts covering its temporary organization and rules of procedure, and the agenda for its first session.

It is the hope of the Government of the United States that the Government of ..... and the Governments of all of the other United Nations and of the Nations associated with them in this war will be prepared to take the action suggested above so that an effective organization may be established promptly to act for all of these Governments in providing the greatest possible assistance to the victims of the war.”

You should present the full text of the draft agreement, designating it “draft of September 20, 1943” and incorporating the modifications transmitted in the Department’s circular instruction of August 23, with the following changes:

1. In the revised text of the Preamble substitute “and” for the last comma preceding “for assistance in” and change the final period to a comma.

2. Use the text of Article VI as transmitted to Governments on June 10, substituting “undertakes” for “pledges itself” in the last sentence, instead of the modification quoted in the circular instruction of August 23.

3. In Article I paragraph 2(a) first sentence add “shelter” after “clothing” and delete “housing facilities”.

Hull

[Replies to circular telegram of September 21, 1943, 9 p.m., not printed, except those in which points of special interest were raised. A number of Governments accepted the agreement with reservations; see bracketed note printed on page 1013.]

15. Sent to the chiefs of mission accredited to Governments comprising the United Nations (except China, Ethiopia, the United Kingdom, and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) and to the Governments associated with them in the war. Telegrams Nos. 1717, 1723, and 1724, of the same date, were sent to the Consul at Algiers, with instructions regarding the presentation of the note and draft agreement modifications to the French Committee.

    On September 22 telegrams were sent to the chiefs of mission in China (No. 1347), the United Kingdom (No. 5830), and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (No. 892), with instructions regarding the transmission of the note and draft agreement modifications for the information of the Government to which accredited.

    On September 23 telegram No. 1405 was sent to the Legation in Egypt for transmission to the Minister in Ethiopia, with instructions regarding presentation of the note and revised text of draft agreement to the Ethiopian Government.

16. Numbered telegrams, dated September 21, not printed; the introductory paragraphs of the note which they transmitted were concerned merely with past correspondence with each Government on the subject.Numbered telegrams, dated September 21, not printed; the introductory paragraphs of the note which they transmitted were concerned merely with past correspondence with each Government on the subject.
17. Notes, dated September 23, to the respective diplomatic representatives in Washington, not printed.
18. For complete text of the September 20 draft, see Department of State Bulletin, September 25, 1943, p. 211.