Lot 60–D 224, Box 55: D.O./P.R./20
Memorandum by the Under Secretary of State (Stettinius) to the Secretary of State
Subject: Progress Report on Dumbarton Oaks Conversations—Twenty-first Day
Meeting of the Joint Steering Committee
In addition to the matter which I took up in person with you today74 points of interest which were considered by the Joint Steering Committee at its 10:30 a.m. meeting today were as follows:
(a) Elimination of References to “Technical” Problems
This is a matter to which the American group attached very great importance and to which they have devoted several days of thorough discussion. At the 9:30 a.m. regular meeting of the American group this morning we agreed that we should accept a compromise provision making it one of the purposes of the organization “to achieve international cooperation in the solution of international, social and other humanitarian problem?”. At the Joint Steering Committee meeting I succeeded in obtaining the assent to this formula of Sir Alexander Cadogan and of Ambassador Gromyko, both of whom had previously rather strongly urged the inclusion of the word “technical”.
(b) Initial Membership of the Organization
Pursuant to a recommendation made by the American group this morning, I proposed that the provision relating to initial membership (Chapter III, paragraph 2) should read as follows: “The initial members of the organization should be signatories to the Declaration by the United Nations of January 1, 1942 and such other states as those nations may invite”, provided the four powers could now agree as to the other states to be so invited. The discussion was inconclusive and it is likely that the Soviet and British representatives do not yet thoroughly understand what we have in mind.
[Page 797](c) Separate Protocol as to Interim Arrangements
I also suggested that section D Interim Arrangements (p. 27)75 be omitted from the document and be made the subject of a separate protocol. Sir Alexander Cadogan agreed that this is a “transitory” provision and he therefore saw no objection to its being made into a separate document. However, he also apparently saw no objection to inclusion of this matter in the document itself. His assistant, Mr. Jebb, suggested that the reference in the document to this subject might say that it is intended to exclude such a provision from the charter itself in view of the provision’s transitory nature. Ambassador Gromyko said that he thought it would be appropriate to mention the subject in the document itself. We said that we would consider whether some reference to the subject might appropriately be included in the document and would give our answer subsequently.
(d) Provision Designed to Permit Women to Serve as Members of the Organization
The American group at its meeting this morning recommended that some provision be inserted in the document especially authorizing the organization to include women among its personnel. They approved the following provision designed to accomplish that purpose as well as other desirable purposes: “All positions under the organization should be open on the basis of pertinent qualifications without regard to race, nationality, creed, or sex.” I presented this provision at the meeting of the Joint Steering Committee and asked the British and Soviet groups to think about it and to give us their reactions later on. Their initial reaction seemed to be rather negative.
Afternoon Meeting of the American Group
At my request the American group met throughout the afternoon in an attempt to devise possible alternative formulae on the question of voting by the council in the event of disputes involving a permanent member. I explained that this is an important subject, that we had received no indication of any inclination on the part of the Soviet group to recede from the principle of unanimity of the great powers and that in view of the time element this is a matter to which the American group should proceed to give careful thought.
- With regard to the question of voting in the Council, see extracts from the minutes of meeting No. 14 of the Joint Steering Committee, infra, and from Mr. Stettinius’ Diary, p. 804.↩
- “Pending the coming into force of the special agreement or agreements referred to in Section VIII, paragraph 5, and in view of their responsibility for (in) the maintenance of peace and security the states parties to the Four-Nation Declaration, signed at Moscow, October 30, 1943, should consult with one another and as occasion arises with other members of the organization with a view to such joint action on behalf of the organization as may be necessary for the purpose of maintaining international peace and security.” (Minutes of meetings of Joint Steering Committee.)↩