RSC Lot 60–D 224, Box 99: UNCIO Cons Five Min 8
Minutes of the Eighth Five-Power Informal Consultative Meeting on Proposed Amendments, Held at San Francisco, May 25, 1945, 11 a.m.
[Here follows list of names of participants, including members of delegations of the United States (14); United Kingdom (3); Soviet Union (4); China (4); and France (5); and the International Secretariat (1).]
Mr. Stettinius said that he brought greetings from Washington to the group. He had been in Washington for two or three days. He confirmed the report that President Truman was planning to come to San Francisco for the closing session of the Conference. He said that a strong sentiment was developing in the country in favor of June 6 as the closing date for the Conference. He did not know whether it would be possible to finish the work of the Conference and to have a good Charter by that date.
Senator Vandenberg suggested that if the oratory could be curtailed in some of the Committees it would help. Mr. Stettinius inquired whether the new rules of procedure were in effect in the Committees, to which Mr. Hiss replied that they were in some Committees, but only occasionally in others.
Lord Halifax said that there was one danger of which he had been warned, that was the possibility of the questions covered: in Subcommittees being reargued in the Committees and the Commissions. He asked whether Mr. Hiss could call attention of the Commission and Committee Chairmen to this. Mr. Hiss said that he would do his best.
Mr. Stettinius said that this meeting had been called at the request of Lord Halifax and asked Lord Halifax to lay before the group such matters as he wished to bring up.
Lord Halifax said that at the beginning of the meeting his colleagues had circulated a note concerning the International Labor Office [Page 890] (see copy attached5). He said that in this note it was pointed out that the United Kingdom Delegation had put forward two amendments designed (1) formally to bring the ILO into association With the Organization in the Charter and (2) to have the ILO recognized formally in the Charter as one of the principal agencies for pursuing the objectives of Article V of the Atlantic Charter—improved labor standards, economic advancement and social security.
Lord Halifax said that the discussions in the Committees6 had revealed no difference in the approach of desires of the various delegations with respect to the use of the ILO. Difference had been revealed however on its being mentioned in the Charter. In view of this fact the United Kingdom Delegation would not insist on pressing its amendments. It proposed instead that in the draft on the Preparatory Commission, which was being prepared in the Secretariat, instructions might be included in the Commission to make arrangements to bring the ILO into association with the Organization and especially with the Economic and Social Council.
Mr. Stettinius asked if it would be possible to add to the mention of the ILO in this respect “and other international intergovernmental organizations”. Lord Halifax said that he would have no objection to this. Inquiry was made by others as to the possibility of including references to other organizations such as Narcotics, Food and Agriculture, et cetera.
Ambassador Gromyko inquired why particular mention should be made of the ILO with no mention being made of other organizations. He thought it might be better to say simply “intergovernmental organizations” and not to mention the ILO specifically. With respect to this question of the relations of the Soviet Union with the ILO, it was well known to everyone present that this matter had been considered some time ago by the Soviet Government at the highest level. The Ambassador referred to a letter addressed by Mr. Butler to Mr. Dunn on May 23,7 a copy of which he said had come to him yesterday. He referred to the two alternatives mentioned in this letter as follows:” (1) that in the paper which the Secretariat are drafting on the subject of the creation and scope of the Preparatory Commision, instruction, should be given that negotiations should be entered on for bringing the ILO into association with the Organization. (2) If the former is unacceptable, to endeavor to obtain assurances from Mr. Gromyko that Russia would not object to the ILO being brought into association with the World Organization, and would not object to the Preparatory Commission working out an arrangement for this proposal to be submitted [Page 891] to the Economic and Social Council at its first meeting. This would be achieved by authorizing the Preparatory Commission in general terms to work out arrangements for bringing specialized organizations into relation with the World Organization but without mentioning the ILO by name”. The Ambassador said that he would prefer the second of these alternatives. He would refrain at present from giving any assurance on this matter, but would take it up with his Government. He would give an answer to Lord Halifax as soon as he had received instructions.
Mr. Boncour said that in view of the important position held by the ILO he thought that it deserved special mention. Ambassador Gromyko remarked that there were many other important organizations.
Lord Halifax said that he recognized the difficulty of the Soviet Ambassador with respect to this matter. He was willing to go as far as possible to meet this difficulty. It would make it easier for Lord Halifax to go along with the omission of any specific mention of the ILO if it were possible for the Soviet Ambassador to give him some reassurance concerning the attitude of his Government towards the association of the ILO with the General Organization.
Ambassador Gromyko repeated that he could give no assurance on this matter but that he would have to consult his Government.
Mr. Stettinius asked whether another meeting should be held when Ambassador Gromyko had received a reply from his Government. Lord Halifax thought that this would not be necessary if the Ambassador were able to get assurance from his Government of the kind that he hoped the Ambassador would be able to get. Ambassador Gromyko said that this procedure would be satisfactory to him.
Mr. Stettinius asked whether any one had any other business to bring before the meeting. Ambassador Gromyko inquired when the Executive Committee and the Steering Committee would meet. Mr. Stettinius replied that there were no plans and no items on the agenda for such a meeting. He inquired whether those present thought it would be possible to complete the Conference by June 6. Mr. Sobolev thought that this might be possible if a “three line whip were used on the Committees”.
Mr. Boncour said that his Government attached great importance to its amendment on Chapter VIII, Section C, Paragraph 2. He hoped that the other powers would find it acceptable. He pointed out that his Government had accepted the regional formula proposed by the United States after consultation with other interested governments. He said that the French amendment applied to the prevention of aggression and that he hoped very much that it would be adopted.
Lord Halifax said that he had been advised that a large measure of agreement had been reached in the Committee of Five on this amendment [Page 892] and that it was only a question of minor drafting before final agreement was reached.
Mr. Pasvolsky, in response to a question from Mr. Stettinius said that the Committee had considered this matter and that a draft8 had been submitted to the Delegations for their consideration. He said it was being studied particularly by the United States Delegation and the Soviet Delegation. Mr. Stettinius inquired whether the draft was before the Committee of Five and Mr. Pasvolsky replied that it was before the Delegations.
Mr. Stettinius said that he hoped the Committees would follow the example of this group which had finished its business in twenty-five minutes. Mr. Boncour asked if Mr. Stettinius would be good enough to ask the Presidents of the Commissions to see that the discussions in the Committees do not take place all over again in the Commissions. Mr. Stettinius said that he was planning to meet the Presidents of the Commissions promptly and that he would make an appeal that the discussions in the Commissions be kept down to a minimum.