500 CC(PC)/9–1345: Telegram
The United States Representative on the Preparatory Commission ( Stettinius ) to the Acting Secretary of State
[Received September 13—4:38 p.m.]
9400. Copre 91. For Hiss. 1. At ExCom meeting today I introduced the following resolution, a revision of a preliminary draft that we introduced and that was informally discussed at the previous meeting of ExCom.
“The Executive Committee of the Preparatory Commission of the United Nations convinced of the urgent need for permanent machinery through which the nations of the world can solve their international problems peacefully and in the common interest recognizing that such machinery is within their reach in the Charter of the United Nations and believing that no time should now be lost in establishing the United Nations hereby agree:
- (1)
- To urge those signatories of the Charter that have not yet deposited their ratifications with the Government of the United States of America to take promptly whatever steps are necessary to this end;
- (2)
- To conclude the work of the Executive Committee by October 15 if possible and not later than November 1.
- (3)
- To convoke the Preparatory Commission on or about November 1 and not later than November 12 provided the necessary ratifications have been deposited as required by the Charter.
- (4)
- To recommend to the Preparatory Commission that the General Assembly should be convoked in London in its first meeting as soon as possible after the meeting of the Preparatory Commission and if possible not later than December 1.
- (5)
- To propose that the first meeting of the General Assembly should be primarily organizational in character but prepared to refer urgent world problems to the organs of the United Nations established at this first meeting of the General Assembly.
- (6)
- To propose that the organs of the United Nations proceed promptly to organize themselves and undertake their respective tasks.
- (7)
- To propose that the first annual plenary meeting of the Assembly should be convened as early in 1946 as the organization and work of the several organs of the United Nations permit.”
2. Discussion of paragraph 4 was postponed until a later meeting. Discussion centered on paragraphs 5, 6 and 7 for which the following revision developed in the course of discussion chiefly on the initiative of Nervt [ Nervo ?]20 and Reid:21
“To recommend to the Preparatory Commission (a) that the first session be divided into two parts (b) that the first part should be primarily organizational in character but prepared to refer urgent world problems to the organs of the United Nations which shall have been established during this first part of the session of the General Assembly (c) that the Assembly would then adjourn in order to allow the organs of the United Nations to proceed promptly to organize themselves and undertake their respective tasks (a) that the second part of the first session of the General Assembly should be convened as early in 1946 as the organization and work of the several organs of the United Nations permit.”
The sense of the discussion was that “organs of the United Nations” in paragraph 5(b) includes committees or commissions of the General Assembly. We are prepared to vote for this revision. Gromyko proposed that a statement be added to establish that temporary committees and commissions of General Assembly would carry out during the period of adjournment only work which they would normally carry out in the course of any General Assembly meeting. He is apparently afraid that a General Assembly committee might assume functions properly within the scope of the sub-committee. It was agreed that a small sub-committee on which we will serve will attempt to prepare a draft statement satisfactory to Gromyko but that in any case a vote on the revised paragraphs 5, 6 and 7 will take place at the beginning of the next meeting of ExCom on Monday.
Committee 2 sub-committee and Committee 4 TrustCo will begin work tomorrow. Committee 7 Budget will probably begin work early next week.