RSC Lot 60–D 224, Box 96: US Cr. Min. 3
Minutes of the Third Meeting of the United States Delegation, Held at Washington, Friday, March 30, 1945, 11 a.m.
[Here follows list of names of persons (14) present at meeting.]
The Secretary opened the meeting by stating that there were many who did not like the recent development connected with the Soviet proposal for representation of certain Soviet republics in the General Assembly. He pointed out, however, that the President was faced with a leak and that it had been necessary to release the information at this time. He urged that the Delegation go forward and use its wits and its courage to find answers for the difficult problems that had to be faced. He indicated that he was prepared to have a frank conversation with respect to any matter that the delegates wished to discuss.
Senator Vandenberg asked if there were any further unexpected disclosures to come. The Secretary replied that there were none, except that there were certain military matters about which he was not free to speak. Representative Eaton asked if agreement had been reached at Yalta to hand over the control of German education to the Soviets. The Secretary replied in the negative and Mr. Hiss concurred.
Senator Connally said that the most serious criticism of the White House statement would be in terms of its timing, but that he did not feel that he could complain at the position taken in that statement. Senator Vandenberg said that he was not complaining, but he wondered whether this revelation meant the reopening of other aspects of the proposals.
The Secretary assured Senator Vandenberg that there was nothing agreed to at Yalta in connection with the general international organization that the Senator did not now know. He asked Mr. Hiss if this [Page 169] statement was accurate. Mr. Hiss replied in the affirmative. The Secretary added that the reason that the President had felt that this matter should not be previously disclosed was his desire, if possible, to have further discussions with the Soviets that might possibly lead to a modification of their position. Reprenstative Bloom indicated that he had been somewhat embarrassed by not having been kept fully informed on this subject. Senator Connally said the matter came down to a question of timing and that the President could not be justifiably criticized for having made this announcement. Senator Vandenberg indicated that he disagreed with the position taken in the White House statement but that he did not think it was worth while arguing about it at this time. He noted that in talking with the President on this matter the President had left the impression that, while the President was himself personally committed to the position, the Delegation itself was not bound.
The Secretary explained that he hoped the Delegation would make a recommendation to the President as to how to dispose of this problem. Since the President would be away for a short time he thought it would be particularly appropriate for the Delegation to struggle with this question now.
Senator Vandenberg remarked that he wanted it clearly understood that he was in accord with the Secretary’s initial statement that nothing should be allowed to interfere with the final result of establishing the organization. He was merely trying to point out, he said, that a little more candor would be very helpful.
Senator Connally said that it was essential for the Delegation to act as a unit when it went to San Francisco and that the delegates would have to hang together. Senator Vandenberg noted that each individual still retained his own vote on the Delegation. Senator Connally replied that what he had in mind was that it would not be wise for members of the Delegation to throw monkey wrenches into the works before the Delegation had had time to formulate its own views.
The Secretary reassured the members of the Delegation that there was nothing that they did not know, nothing that had been left in the closet, except, as he had said, certain military decisions which he could not discuss.
Senator Vandenberg stated that, while it was possible to gloss over this whole matter, he believed that the public reaction would be serious and that the newspapers in particular would inquire why this decision was not announced in connection with the other Yalta decisions. The Secretary agreed that the public reaction would be adverse.
Representative Eaton indicated that he seriously questioned the basic nature of the Proposals under contemplation. He felt that we [Page 170] were now engaged in slaughtering thousands of men and expending billions of dollars in an attempt to destroy the enemy only to be coming out with a plan for the domination of the world. He felt convinced that the substance of the plan for world organization was the domination of the world by four or five of the great states. He indicated that he would prefer to try to lay the firm foundations for the peace after the necessary adjustments had been made to settle the issues of the war.
Representative Eaton thought the justification for the United States having three votes on the grounds that Great Britain had six votes was fallacious. He said that the Dominions had declared war for themselves, would terminate their part in the war as they saw fit, now sent their own ambassadors, and were in fact free and independent nations.
Representative Bloom asked whether the President himself was actually in favor of the 3–3–6 formula. The Secretary replied that the President’s position is that, if Russia insists on three representatives and the Conference accepts this position, then he would insist upon three votes for the United States. Senator Vandenberg thought that the tenor of the anouncement was that this Government was now committed to the Soviet proposal. The Secretary replied that the decision was left up to the Conference itself. Senator Vandenberg felt that this should have been made clearer in the announcement. The Secretary then asked Mr. MacLeish to read the White House statement.53 Mr. MacLeish read as follows:
“Soviet representatives at the Yalta Conference indicated their desire to raise at the San Francisco Conference of the United Nations, the question of representation for the Ukrainian Soviet Republic and the White Russian Soviet Republic in the assembly of the proposed United Nations organization.
“The American and British representatives at the Yalta Conference were requested by the Soviet representatives to support this proposal when submitted to the conference of the United Nations at San Francisco. They agreed to do so, but the American representatives stated that if the United Nations organization agreed to let the Soviet republics have three votes, the United States would ask for three votes also.
“The British and Soviet representative stated that they would have no objection to the United States and its possessions having three votes in the Assembly if it is so desired.
“These conversations at Yalta related to the submission of a question to the San Francisco conference where the ultimate decision will be made.”
The Secretary noted that the statement emphasized that the matter was open for decision by the Conference.
[Page 171]The Secretary announced that he had a number of important matters to raise at this meeting and that he thought discussion should now turn to them.
1. President To Open Conference
The Secretary explained that he had discussed with the President the President’s plans with regard to the Conference and that the President had said that he would do anything that we felt was the proper thing to do.…
. . . . . . .
It was generally agreed that announcement should be made that the President would open the Conference and that the question of his closing the Conference would be left open.
2. List of Advisers
The Secretary reported that he had talked over with the President the list of advisers for the United States Delegation. A copy of the List of Advisers (March 29, 194554) was distributed to each member.…
. . . . . . .
3. Unofficial Observers From National Organizations
A classified List of Private National Organizations was then distributed to the members.
The Secretary said that he had talked over with the President the whole question of representation of national organizations at San Francisco and that, while the President realized the difficulties of the plan previously suggested by the Department, he had felt it would do considerable harm if no recognition was given to the leading national organizations. The President favored limiting the list to about 30 organizations and allowing each of these organizations to send one representative. Of course each organization would pay the expenses of their representative. There would be a liaison office to facilitate communication with these representatives, and they would be free to attend the plenary sessions and the commission meetings, but they would not be listed as advisers.
. . . . . . .
4. Assignment of Members of the Delegation to Commissions
The Secretary stated that one further matter that he thought should be discussed at this meeting was the tentative assignment of delegates to the several commissions of the Conference. A list entitled Tentative Assignment of Delegates55 was then distributed to the members.…
. . . . . . .
[Page 172]The Secretary asked whether it would not be well to designate one representative from the Delegation to be the spokesman on each commission. Mr. Pasvolsky thought that the real work would be done in the committees since the commissions would be open to the public and that it would be vitally important to assure at all times that a delegate from the United States was present at any meeting of a committee. He added that, if one member of the Delegation was designated to act as spokesman of each commission then the other delegates would serve as alternates, but that he thought it was most important to designate a spokesman for each committee. Senator Connally wondered if what the Secretary had in mind was the designation of a chairman from the Delegation for each commission. The Secretary agreed with this interpretation. Representative Bloom said he assumed that, if a delegate assigned as spokesman to a committee was unable to attend, a substitute would be appointed. Mr. Acheson replied in the affirmative.
It was then generally agreed to postpone a decision on the assignment of members of the Delegation to the several commissions until the Tuesday meeting.56
5. Secretary’s Statement at Press Conference Concerning Proposal for Representation of Certain Soviet Republics in the General Assembly
The Secretary announced that he would have to proceed immediately to a press conference at which he would be asked questions concerning the Soviet proposal for the representation of certain Soviet republics in the General Assembly. He asked the members of the Delegation what they would think of the following statement that had been prepared:
“I have nothing further to add to the White House statement of yesterday on the Soviet proposal with reference to representation of certain Soviet republics in the General Assembly of the proposed United Nations Organization, except to point out: That the United States representatives at Yalta reserved to the United States Delegation at San Francisco the right to raise the question of United States representation in the General Assembly, should the issue of increased representation in the Assembly be presented to the Conference and should the United States Delegation wish to exercise that right. The Dumbarton Oaks Proposals remain, of course, as stated in the invitation, the basis for the work of the San Francisco Conference.”
Senator Vandenberg and Mr. Dunn agreed that this statement might only accentuate the adverse reaction. The Secretary suggested that in place of this statement he might simply say that the matter had been discussed with the Delegation and was under consideration. Senator Vandenberg said that when the President had [Page 173] talked to them about this Soviet proposal he had left the impression that the Delegation was not committed to it. He had said that if he were there he would vote for the proposal, but that the impression was left that the delegates were free agents and that he even wanted them to act as free agents.
The Secretary stated that it was now the responsibility of the delegates to be as resourceful as possible in seeing that this hurdle was surmounted before the San Francisco Conference.
The Secretary thought that it might be wisest to “duck” the matter in the forthcoming press conference. Senator Connally agreed that the more that was now said in the paper the more the disturbance would be accentuated. He advised the Secretary to emphasize that the matter was left entirely to the discretion of the Conference and that its solution would depend upon future developments. The Secretary thought he might say simply that the President had made a statement on this matter and that he had nothing at the moment to add to this statement. Senator Vandenberg urged that he go one step further and indicate that the matter was open for decision at the Conference. Mr. Hackworth suggested that the Secretary state that the question of Soviet representation was open for decision at the Conference, but that the question as to whether the United States would also ask for three representatives was up to the delegates to decide.
Mr. Acheson asked the Secretary whether the American Delegation was free or not free to make its decision on this question. The Secretary replied that, as the statement said, the American representatives had agreed at Yalta that if the Russians proposed representation for three Soviet republics in the General Assembly the President would support the proposal, but that if the Conference accepted the Soviet proposal then we would insist on three votes for ourselves. Mr. Acheson thought the Delegation was then free to decide whether it wished to insist on three representatives. Senator Connally added that he did not believe the President would withdraw from his commitment.
It was then generally agreed that the Secretary should quote directly from the statement by the President that the ultimate decision was to be made by the Conference.57
[Here follow announcements Nos. 6–9 regarding “Jurists’ Meeting”, “Trusteeship”, “Meetings on Substance”, and “Next Meeting”.]
The meeting was adjourned at 12:20 p.m.
- Press release issued by the White House, March 29; see Department of State Bulletin, April 1, 1945, p. 530.↩
- List of March 29 not printed; for list released to the press on April 3, see Department of State Bulletin, April 8, 1945, p. 608.↩
- Not printed.↩
- April 3.↩
- See press release of April 3 concerning the press conference of March 30, Department of State Bulletin, April 8, 1945, p. 600.↩