500C.115 28th Conference/15: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 26—1:50 p.m.]
8270. Foreign Office states it is agreeable to the date of December 16 for Governing Body meeting provided that transportation arrangements will permit the arrival of various delegates by that time. Department’s 7400, November 22, 10 p.m.22
With respect to our suggestion that the meeting of the Conference be held before the end of March at the latest (see also Department’s 7339, November 19, 8 p.m.22), Mr. Law23 has written me as follows:
“His Majesty’s Government naturally see no objection in principle to an early conference of the International Labour Organization. It is, however, their view that the time and place of the conference should be left over for decision by the Governing Body at its forthcoming meeting. This is the procedure required by the constitution of the International Labour Organization and we should be very reluctant to endeavor to impose our wishes as to the time and place of the conference which might not be wholly acceptable to the Governing Body. Our information suggests that both the employers and workers organizations are very jealous of their rights in such matters and would greatly resent any action by the governments which tended to suggest that the Organization was dominated by the governments and thus to undermine the tripartite basis of the Organization. Subject to this and of course to the views of the Canadian Government, whom we have suggested might be consulted, we for our part should be very happy if the Canadian Government saw fit to issue an invitation for the conference to meet in Canada in March.”
Mr. Law mentions that on the basis of the information transmitted in Department’s 7193, November 13, midnight, he believes that this procedure will be acceptable to our Government.