Office of the Historian

500.CC/2–2645: Telegram

The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant) to the Secretary of State 75

London, February 26, 1945—3 p.m.
[Received February 26—12:18 p.m.]

1970. We saw Sir Alexander Cadogan at the Foreign Office this morning at his request. He had with him Ambassador Massigli and Chauvel76 who accompanied Bidault to London.

Cadogan explained that the French had proposed a change in the text of the invitation to the San Francisco Conference. Chauvel at this point said that his Government had informed Ambassador Caffery that it agreed in principle to act as one of the sponsors of the San Francisco Conference but that at the same time his Government [Page 96] had suggested that in the body of the invitations a clause be inserted to the effect that the French Government reserves the right to put forward certain amendments to the proposals for the establishment of a general international organization. (ReDept’s 1409, February 23.)

Cadogan then said that to meet the French view he proposed, as an alternative, changing the wording of the second paragraph of the text of the invitation to read “the above named governments suggest that the conference take as a basis for discussion the proposals for the establishment of a general international organization, etc., etc., etc.”. This wording, Massigli and Chauvel said they thought would be acceptable to their Government but they would have to refer the matter to Paris for final answer.

Cadogan asked us to inquire urgently of the Department whether, either the French suggestion for amending the text of the invitation or his proposed change is acceptable to the Department. He also asked us to inquire whether the Department would not consider holding up the issuance of the invitations for a day or two beyond March 1st in case agreement on the wording of the text could not be reached immediately.

In asking us to make this inquiry of the Department Cadogan explained in the presence of Massigli and Chauvel that the Foreign Office regarded the text of the invitation as it stood as affording ample opportunity for proposing amendments during the Conference.

Repeated to Paris as 112, Moscow as 69 and Chungking as 3.

Winant
  1. Text transmitted; to Mexico City for the Secretary of State in telegram 427, February 26, 6 p.m., not printed.↩

  2. René Massigli, French Ambassador in the United Kingdom, and Jean Chauvel, Secretary General of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

    The French Foreign Minister spent three days in England as a guest of the British Government; conversations dealt chiefly with preparations for the San Francisco Conference.

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