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

500.CC/2–2345: Telegram

The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant)⁶⁰

Washington, February 23, 1945—midnight.

1407. Please communicate immediately and orally to the Foreign Minister the substance of the following:

Begin communication. 1. The communiqué issued at the termination of the Crimea Conference⁶¹ stated that consultations were to be held with the Government of China and the Provisional Government of France with respect to (a) the text of the proposals on voting procedure in the Security Council of the general international organization proposed at the Dumbarton Oaks Conference, and (b) their joining the Governments of the United States, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union in sponsoring invitations to a conference of United Nations to be called to meet in San Francisco on April 25, 1945. While the Government of China has accepted the text of the voting procedure and has agreed to join in sponsoring invitations to the San Francisco Conference the Provisional Government of France, despite earnest and repeated representations from this Government on behalf of all three Governments participating in the Crimea Conference, has so far not indicated its agreement.

2. The Government of the United States believes that while the Provisional Government of France should be allowed some further time to consider the invitation to act as a joint sponsor at the San Francisco Conference and to concur in the proposals on voting procedure, there is, however, urgent need for making the text of the voting proposals public and for giving the United Nations as much time as possible to prepare for the Conference. Furthermore, in view of the fact that the French Provisional Government has had since February 12 to consider this matter, it would seem that the procedure regarding consultation agreed on at the Crimea Conference has in fact been carried out. Therefore, this Government proposes for the concurrence of the Governments of Great Britain, Soviet Union and China that it issue the invitations to the Conference on behalf of itself and the other three governments on March 1 at 12 o’clock noon, Washington time, the text of the invitations to be made public at that time simultaneously by the four governments in Washington, London, Moscow and Chungking. Representatives of the Government of the United States will be instructed to present the invitations formally to the Foreign Ministers of each of the United Nations in their respective capitals at that time. This date is selected since it was agreed at the Crimea Conference that invitations are to be issued to those nations which were signatories to the United Nations Declaration on February 8, 1945 and those associated nations, including Turkey, which will have declared war by March 1.

3. In the event that the Provisional Government of France agrees (a) with the proposals on voting procedure in the Security Council, and (b) to join in sponsoring the invitations to the San Francisco Conference by February 28 at 12 o’clock noon, Washington time, the Provisional Government of France would be included as one of the five governments sponsoring the invitations and would join in the simultaneous release on March 1 referred to in the preceding paragraph. On the other hand, if the Provisional Government does not indicate its agreement by February 28 at 12 o’clock noon, Washington time, then an invitation to the Conference will, of course, be issued to it as one of the United Nations.

4. The agreed text of the invitations to be issued is contained in the telegram immediately following along with the list of the United Nations to which it will subsequently be issued. In the event that the Governments of Egypt, Iceland, Uruguay, and Turkey declare war by March 1, invitations will also be issued to them. The same consideration will apply to Saudi Arabia if the sponsoring Governments agree to the inclusion of that country. End communication.

You should tactfully impress upon the Foreign Minister that this Government assumes that in view of the agreement on procedure reached at the Crimea Conference this proposal will be accepted by his Government and that it will join in the simultaneous release of the text of the invitation. You should also stress that the matters under consultation are to be held entirely confidential until publication of the text of the invitations.⁶² Please cable at the earliest possible moment the reaction to the foregoing communication, repeating your reply to the appropriate Amembassies so that Washington, London, Moscow, Chungking, and Paris are all kept informed of the progress of this proposal.

Grew

60. Repeated on the same date as telegram 405 to Moscow and as telegram 315 to Chungking; repeated also to Mexico City as telegram 389 for attention of Secretary Stettinius.

    In telegram 294, February 25, 4 p.m., from Chungking, the Chargé in China (Atcheson) indicated that the Chinese Government concurred fully in proposals, in telegram 315, February 23, midnight (500.CC/2–2545). For the Soviet, response, see telegram 570, February 27, midnight, from Moscow, p. 98.

61. Conferences at Malta and Yalta, p. 968.
62. Acting Secretary Grew informed the Secretary in his telegram 445, February 28, noon, to Mexico City, that the White House had agreed that the announcement concerning the delivery of the invitations and the release of the text of the invitations should be a State Department release (500.CC/2–2845).