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

RSC Lot 60–D 224, Box 99

Minutes of the Third Meeting of the Informal Organizing Group on Arrangements for the San Francisco Conference, Held at Washington, Friday, April 13, 1945, noon

Washington, April 13, 1945, noon

[Informal Notes]

[Here follows list of names of participants, including representatives of the United States (7); United Kingdom (2); Soviet Union (2); and China (2).]

The minutes of the second meeting were distributed.⁴⁷

Mr. Hiss read the Soviet Ambassador’s letter of April 12, 1945⁴⁸ proposing corrections to the minutes of the April 3 meeting. The corrections were accepted by the Secretary and the British and Chinese Ambassadors.

The Secretary suggested that each Ambassador give any report he might be in position to make.

The British Ambassador reported that his Government has indicated assent on all proposals previously referred to it from the Informal Organizing Group with the exception of two: first, the allocation of Executive Committee positions and officerships of the Commissions and Committees and, secondly, the [personal suggestion which he had made at the last meeting concerning the]⁴⁹ Conference chairmanship. Lord Halifax indicated that the British Government is in general agreement with the proposed allocations but that it suggests that no strictly final agreement be undertaken at this time because of the fact that fuller information regarding delegations and related questions will probably be available at San Francisco before the Conference convenes. He said that his Government has one or two suggestions not worth going into at the present time, which could better be cleared in the period just before the Conference. [The Secretary asked whether Lord Halifax means agreement by April 20 or April 21 and Lord Halifax indicated that it ought to be possible by that time.]⁵⁰

With regard to the second point Lord Halifax said that he has no answer from his Government on the question of chairman of the Conference. [With regard to the second point, Lord Halifax said that he had not yet received the comments of his Government on the personal suggestion which he had made.]⁵¹ [The Secretary said that unless this question is definitely solved the confusion would be hopeless.]⁵⁰

The Secretary then called on The Soviet Ambassador who took up first the question of languages in which the Conference proceedings should be published. He requested on behalf of his Government that all main documents of the Conference and the official journal be published in five languages, English, French, Spanish, Russian and Chinese. [In answer to the question as to what he means by the journal, he said that the journal is simply the journal.]⁵² Mr. Hiss asked whether the need for the use of documents in the Russian language might not be met by the translation into Russian of the order of the day without any attempt at printing the official journal in Russian. The Secretary asked whether the Soviet Ambassador really meant the publication in printed form of the daily record in Russian.

[Mr. Hiss asked the Soviet Ambassador whether the translation into Russian of only conference papers would be sufficient.]⁵² Discussion on this subject was closed by the Secretary’s instructing Mr. Ross to determine the facilities at San Francisco for printing in the Russian language and instructing further that the resultant information be discussed with the Soviet Embassy.

The Soviet Ambassador expressed the view of his Government that invitations for unofficial observers from governmental international organizations to attend the Conference should be limited to persons who are nationals of the countries participating in the Conference. Mr. Hiss stated that invitations have already gone out to the five agreed organizations on the basis of previous clearance with the Soviet Government and that this condition was not previously expressed and therefore not incorporated in the invitations.⁵³ Ambassador Gromyko asserted that his orders in this regard had arrived since the last meeting and that they are specific regardless of an apparent discrepancy between them and what the Department understood from the United States Embassy in Moscow as having been stated by the Soviet Government. Mr. Hiss was instructed to look into whether any official organization invited would be sending observers who are not nationals of participating countries.⁵⁴ Lord Halifax indicated that his silence in this discussion should not be construed as consent, and that he must reserve the position of his government. The Secretary reserved the position of the American Government.

The Soviet Ambassador suggested that Yugoslavia be given membership on the Executive Committee to displace the Netherlands. [Lord Halifax asked in what position, and when Ambassador Gromyko stated that his Government proposed that Yugoslavia displace the Netherlands on the Executive Committee, Lord Halifax’s expression and manner showed serious doubt and he]⁵² reserved the position of his Government.⁵⁷ The Secretary and the Chinese Ambassador also reserved their positions.

Ambassador Gromyko stated that the Soviet Government cannot give its consent either to the first proposed allocation or to the second proposed allocation of officerships of Commissions and Committees, because the Ukrainian Republic and the White Russian Republic are not allocated chairmanships.

The Secretary reviewed the agreement reached at Yalta on the subject of votes for the Soviet Republics and pointed out that there was agreement that a Soviet request for membership in the General Assembly of such international organization as may be established would be supported by the United States and the United Kingdom, but that there was no agreement whatever for participation in the Conference by those Republics and that participation is limited to countries who have signed the United Nations Pact.⁵⁸ [Lord Halifax confirmed this statement.]⁵⁹

Ambassador Gromyko asserted that it was previously agreed that the two Republics would be initial members of the organization and that membership from the beginning must inevitably entail their being participants in the Conference. He stated that his Government had in mind that at the first or at an early session of the Conference the two Republics would be admitted and that their participation would become immediately effective thenceforth.

[The Secretary again described what had happened in the matter. He said that, according to the arrangement arrived at, the Soviet Union would propose at an appropriate meeting the admission of the two Soviet Republics as members of the General Assembly; that the United Kingdom and the United States would support this proposal at that time; and that nothing further in the matter was agreed to. The Secretary pointed out that there had been no previous reference whatever to the subject now raised by the Soviet Ambassador in requesting participation by the Republics at the San Francisco Conference. Copy of the March 20 note to the Soviet Ambassador was produced in confirmation.]⁶⁰

Lord Halifax and Mr. Hiss were called upon and indicated general agreement with the Secretary’s account of the background of the subject.

The Chinese Ambassador was called upon for his report and stated that the proposed allocations of Commission and Committee officerships are generally agreeable to the Chinese Government. He added that, if subsequent questions of alteration come up, the Chinese Foreign Minister will be here to consider suggestions.

[The Secretary stated that if the sponsoring powers cannot go to the Conference in agreement, questions at issue will regrettably have to go before the Conference. Lord Halifax stated that the view of the United Kingdom will be the same unless subsequent diplomatic interchange clears up questions before the 20th or 21st.]⁶¹

Mr. Hillman’s proposal that the World Trade Union Conference send a delegation as advisers to the San Francisco Conference was brought up. [It was indicated that the view of the American Government was that the suggestion is impracticable.]⁶¹ Ambassador Gromyko said he will consult his Government.

[The Soviet Ambassador in reply to a question again stated that his Government has not given instructions on questions previously referred, even as early as the March 30 memorandum on Conference organization.]⁶²

The Secretary stated that because of lack of progress, the Informal Organizing Group should adjourn permanently and be disbanded; that he is greatly disturbed and disappointed; and that there would be no more meetings of the Informal Organizing Group unless one of the members wishes that a meeting be called. [The Secretary stated that the Informal Organizing Group is making no progress whatever because of inability to arrive at decision; that the Soviet Ambassador’s lack of instructions and his opposition to proposals agreed by all the other sponsors make for an impossible state of affairs;]⁶³ that on that account he feels that the group should adjourn permanently and be disbanded; that he is greatly disturbed and disappointed; [that there is apparently no point in attempting to do anything before we actually go to San Francisco;] and that there would be no more meetings of the Informal Organizing Group unless one of the members wishes that a meeting be called. [He raised the question of whether it is possible to run the Conference if we cannot at this stage agree on anything and said that every effort must be made to make the Conference a success. As the meeting rose the Soviet Ambassador also stated that we must go to San Francisco with the determination to make the Conference a success.]

47. Minutes of meeting of April 10, p. 235.
48. Not found in Department files.
49. Insertion within brackets made in accordance with a request by the Counselor of the British Embassy (Makins) in his letter of April 22 to Mr. Cabot Coville, Foreign Service Officer, temporarily assigned to the Office of Special Political Affairs; letter not printed.
50. Addition within brackets copied from the record of the meeting for the Department’s files, not printed.
51. In his letter of April 22, Mr. Makins indicated that the second paragraph should read as indicated within the brackets.
50. Addition within brackets copied from the record of the meeting for the Department’s files, not printed.
52. Addition within brackets copied from the record of the meeting for the Department’s files, not printed.
52. Addition within brackets copied from the record of the meeting for the Department’s files, not printed.
53. See portion of telegram 999, April 1, from Moscow, quoted in footnote 22, p. 153.
54. The question involved the representatives of the League of Nations and the International Labor Office, Sean Lester and Edward J. Phelan, respectively, who were British subjects of Irish nationality.
52. Addition within brackets copied from the record of the meeting for the Department’s files, not printed.

57. The British had proposed membership of India on the Executive Committee and at the same time questioned the proposed membership of Czechoslovakia. The Department thereupon suggested substituting Chile for Czechoslovakia. The British did not concur but continued to press for a seat for India. (Memoranda of conversations, April 10 and 12, not printed.)

    In a telephone conversation of April 14, the Counselor of the Soviet Embassy, Alexander Kapustin, informed Mr. Hiss that he had been instructed by Ambassador Gromyko to say that his Government did not agree to the proposal to exchange the positions of Chile and Czechoslovakia in the San Francisco Conference allocations (500.CC/4–1445).

58. Declaration by United Nations, January 1, 1942.
59. Addition within brackets copied from the record of the meeting for the Department’s files, not printed.
60. Addition within brackets copied from the record of the meeting for the Department’s files, not printed. Reference in last sentence is apparently to note of March 29 from the Secretary of State to the Soviet Ambassador (Gromyko), p. 163.
61. Addition within brackets copied from the record of the meeting for the Department’s files, not printed.
61. Addition within brackets copied from the record of the meeting for the Department’s files, not printed.
62. Addition within brackets copied from the record of the meeting for the Department’s files; not printed. For memorandum from the Secretary of State to Ambassador Gromyko, March 30, see p. 174.
63. Additions within brackets in remainder of this document copied from the record of the meeting for the Department’s files, not printed.