800.42/322: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom ( Winant )
2111. The Department proposes that the reply noted below, to the invitation of December 9, 1943 of the British Government to participate in the Conference of Allied Ministers of Education in Embassy’s telegram No. 8531,6 be transmitted by you to the British Government. This reply is a result of the studies undertaken in the Department which were suggested in its telegrams No. 8257, No. 32 and No. 32,7 respectively, sent to the American Embassies in London, Chungking and Moscow, for the governments of Great Britain, China and USSR respectively. The Department will transmit this reply to the other governments having members or observers in the Conference of Allied Ministers of Education.
The suggested reply follows.
“The United States Government acknowledges the important preliminary work done by the Conference of Allied Ministers of Education, and recognizes it as a useful agency for the further emergency development of international cooperation in educational and cultural reconstruction.
[Page 968]The United States Government also recognizes the great importance of the reestablishment of essential educational and cultural facilities in the war torn countries, and, therefore, proposes, for the present, to collaborate with the Conference of Allied Ministers of Education, pending the development of a United Nations organization in this field.
In undertaking such collaboration, it would be the view of this Government:
First, that the Governments collaborating in the Conference should study and formulate recommendations for action on the emergency problems of rebuilding the educational and cultural facilities of the war torn countries,
- (a)
- Aiding in the essential material restocking of primary and secondary schools,
- (b)
- Aiding in the reestablishment of essential technical and university education, especially for the training of technical and professional personnel by furnishing books, periodicals, scientific apparatus, and other means for advanced study.
- (c)
- Aiding in the reestablishment of essential library facilities.
- (d)
- Aiding in the recovering of objects and materials looted by the Axis countries from historic monuments, art galleries, archives, and libraries, and aiding in restoring them to their rightful owners.
- (e)
- Aiding in the providing of opportunities for training technical and professional personnel.
In connection with the foregoing there should be no external interference with national educational and cultural organizations and programs of the collaborating nations.
Second, that the governments collaborating in the Conference should take steps with other interested governments to seek the best means for establishing a United Nations agency for educational and cultural reconstruction, organized and administered along democratic lines.
The United States Government proposes to send representatives to collaborate with the Conference of Allied Ministers of Education for the session of April 5, 1944, upon which occasion initial recommendations covering the above points will be made.”
Please telegraph immediately if there have been any developments which might raise questions regarding advisability or feasibility of proposed reply and basis of collaboration.
- December 8, 1943, not printed.↩
- See telegram 8257, December 31, 1943, and footnote 15, Foreign Relations, 1943, vol. i, p. 1162.↩