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

500.CC/2–2045: Telegram

The Ambassador in Guatemala ( Long ) to the Acting Secretary of State

Guatemala , February 20, 1945—9 a.m.
[Received 3:52 p.m.]

128. [From Secretary Stettinius.] Please deliver the following message from me to the [White House] Map Room for forwarding to the President.³⁰

1. Despite active efforts by the Department to expedite the matter, France has still not expressed agreement with the Dumbarton Oaks proposals as completed at the Crimea Conference. China accepted the new provisions immediately. You will recall that all of us at Yalta felt that the consultation with France and China should be concluded as promptly as possible so that the voting procedure provisions could be published and invitations to the San Francisco Conference be issued with a minimum of delay. We feel it particularly important that the publication of the voting provisions and the issuance of the invitations not be delayed later than the opening of the Mexico City Conference, regardless of whether France has by then agreed to be a fifth sponsoring power. Consequently, I have asked Grew to obtain British and Russian consent for our taking these steps on February 21, even though the consultation with France has not been completed by that time. I am making arrangements to have invitations to the United Nations Conference at San Francisco issued by you from the White House on the evening of February 21, and in order that we may have complete unity of the United Nations represented in Mexico City I will, in your name, include in my opening remarks the invitation to the United Nations Conference which will, of course, include the voting procedure in the Council, making clear that you are speaking for the Soviet Union, Great Britain, China and, if possible, France.

2. I had a pleasant visit today with the Governor of Trinidad, Sir Bede Clifford, on my way to Mexico City. Sir Bede asked that I send you his warmest greetings. Commodore Baughman took me on a tour of our naval base area and I was much impressed with the great value to us of the area we have leased. Stettinius.

Long

30. Marginal notation: “Sent to the President through Map Room February 20, 1945”. President Roosevelt was en route home, on the U.S.S. Quincy, from the Yalta Conference, arriving in Washington February 28.