Foreign Relations of the United States, Diplomatic Papers, 1945, General: The United Nations, Volume I

500.CC/3–2545

The Secretary of State to the Soviet Ambassador (Gromyko)⁴³

Washington, March 29, 1945.

Excellency: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of March 25 in which you reiterate the request of your Government that delegations representing the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic and the White Russian Soviet Socialist Republic participate in the discussions at San Francisco once these republics have been accepted by the Conference as original members of the new organization.

I should like again to set forth the understanding of the United States Government of the obligations which it assumed on this point under the Crimean decisions. As clearly stated in the agreed Protocol of the proceedings of the Conference the United States Government agreed to support at the San Francisco Conference the proposal that these two Soviet republics be admitted to initial membership of the world organization when that organization was established but no obligation whatsoever was assumed in regard to the question of the presence of representatives of these republic at San Francisco. This specific question was not raised by the Soviet delegation at the Crimean Conference. Except for the personal observation of Mr. Churchill deferred to in your note, this question was not taken up in the general discussion or in connection with the definite list of countries to be invited to the Conference.

Furthermore, it must be pointed out that it remains for the Conference to decide whether to accept the Soviet proposal which the United States and British Governments have agreed to support concerning the admission of these two republics as initial members of the proposed organization. Pending the decision of the Conference on this point there would appear to be no grounds at this stage for raising the question of the representation of the Ukrainian and White Russian Republics at the Conference itself.⁴⁴

Accept [etc.]

E. R. Stettinius, Jr.

43. Handed by Mr. Grew to the Soviet Ambassador on March 29. The Ambassadors in the United Kingdom and in the Soviet Union were informed of the exchange of notes with the Soviet Embassy in telegrams 2440 and 732, respectively, on the same date (500.CC/3–2945).
44. See statement released to the press by the White House on march 29, Department of State Bulletin, April 1, 1945, p. 530; see also Edward R. Stettinius, Jr., Roosevett and the Russins, pp. 282–283.