500.CC/6–2645

The Secretary of War (Stimson) and the Secretary of the Navy (Forrestal) to the Secretary of State

Dear Mr. Secretary: Under date of 23 June 1945 the undersigned have received from the Joint Chiefs of Staff the following communication: [Page 1431]

“The Joint Chiefs of Staff have examined the enclosed draft text of the charter of the United Nations International Organization as furnished them by the military advisers at the San Francisco Conference. They are of the opinion that the military and strategic implications of this draft charter as a whole are in accord with the military interests of the United States.”

It is our understanding that the draft text to which the Joint Chiefs of Staff refer is the text prepared in San Francisco by the Coordination Committee and the Advisory Committee of Jurists,18 copies of which were enclosed in letters of 22 June 194519 from the Acting Secretary of State to the Secretary of War and the Secretary of the Navy.

The Secretary of War and the Secretary of the Navy concur in the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff quoted above relative to this draft text.

It is noted that at various places in the draft text provision is made for the negotiation of future agreements. It is assumed that wherever such agreements involve matters of military or strategic interest, such as the placing of territory in trusteeship, the composition and command of armed forces to be made available to the Security Council, regional arrangements, plans for the limitation of armaments, and the like, the War and Navy Departments will be actively consulted before any definitive action by this Government is determined upon.

Sincerely yours,

  • Henry L. Stimson
  • James Forrestal
  1. Doc. 1159, CO/181, June 23, UNCIO Documents, vol. 15, p. 170.
  2. Letters not printed.