500.CC/12–2744: Airgram
The Ambassador in the Netherlands (Hornbeck) to the Secretary of State
[Received January 6, 1945—11 a.m.]
Netherlands Series A–3. In the course of the conversation which I had with Dr. van Kleffens on Saturday, December 23, Dr. van Kleffens brought up the subject of the Dumbarton Oaks Conference. He said that the Netherlands Government was preparing a memorandum81 of comment and opinion which he thought would be completed in the relatively near future—“perhaps ten days.” He said in reply to a question, that some, one at least, of his associates in the Netherlands Government are not confident of the value of an international organization. He himself, however, he said, believes in and desires to see created an international organization but he wants it to be one in which the security of all states is equally safeguarded and the sovereignty of all states is equally respected and considered. He said that there are some things to which the Netherlands Government cannot make a commitment of approval; for instance, a provision that in the functioning of the proposed Executive Council one of the major powers should be legally authorized to exercise a veto power in its own case whereas any decision of the Council would be binding upon all powers, thus establishing a distinction and discrimination of great importance between the position rights and obligations of major powers and those of lesser powers. There followed a half hour’s discussion of the circumstances under which the Dumbarton Oaks Conference had been called and was held, of the attitude and thought of the American Government regarding the principles and provisions which were agreed upon by the delegates to that Conference for submission to their Governments, and of procedures which lie ahead. In the course of this discussion I availed myself of the opportunity presented to stress the practical aspects of the problem presented in the effort to promote and to achieve agreement among the Allied Powers upon the idea of creating a new international organization. I had in mind the contents of [Page 954] memoranda which were given me in the Department analysing and explaining various of the provisions of the Dumbarton Oaks proposals. I brought to bear some of the points elaborated therein. I took occasion to suggest to Dr. van Kleffens that in my opinion, and speaking on a personal and unofficial basis, the maximum of helpful contribution might be made by his and other Governments if, when and as they offer comments those who are addressing themselves to the preparation and presentation thereof would have constantly in mind the conditions and circumstances in the whole field of world affairs, political, economic and social, in the light of which the problem of creating a world organization has to be handled; that the proposals be considered in their sum total and be discussed on their merits—in the light of that background; and that as far as possible the taking of definite political positions, especially positions contra, in reference to the proposals as a whole or to any of the provisions in particular be avoided. Dr. van Kleffens said that he considered that those suggestions had merit and that he would take full account of them but that he felt it essential to make clear the limitations within which his Government must function in the determining of the position of the Netherlands regarding some features of the proposals.
- For text of Netherlands suggestions dated January 1945, see Documents of the United Nations Conference on International Organization, San Francisco, 1945, vol. iii, p. 306.↩