500.CC/1–1445
The Acting Counsellor of the British Embassy (Wright) to the Special Assistant to the Secretary of State (Pasvolsky)
Dear Leo: In confirmation of my telephone message of yesterday, I am writing, on the Ambassador’s instructions, to inform you that His Majesty’s Government are prepared to accept the President’s proposed compromise on voting on the Security Council of the World Organization.
His Majesty’s Government are still not entirely clear as to the precise effect of the application to paragraph 1 Chapter 8, Section C of the Dumbarton Oaks proposals of the rule that parties to a dispute should not vote, but they do not anticipate any difficulty on this score.
The Foreign Office ask us to recall to you that the question of voting is not the only one that remains to be settled before a United Nations Conference could be called, and that all difficulties will not probably have been got out of the way before the next Three Power meeting. This must unfortunately militate against going ahead too precipitately. The Foreign Office also recall that the idea was that the invitation to the Conference should be sent out in the names of the Three (or Four) Powers. Consultation between us would consequently be required before the invitation actually issues.
Yours sincerely,
- By memorandum dated January 17, 1945, Stettinius informed Roosevelt of British acceptance of the proposed voting formula (500.CC/1–1445).↩