RSC Lot 60–D 224, Box 96: US Cr. Min. 1
Minutes of the First Meeting of the United States Delegation, Held at Washington, Tuesday, March 13, 1945, 11 a.m. 36
[Here follows list of names of persons (15) present (6 delegates and 9 Departmental officers) and preliminary announcements by the Secretary on arrangements for delegation meetings and for the Conference.]
The Secretary said that he had outlined to the President the question of the publicity policy for the Conference. He had explained the need of a liberal and progressive policy in this respect, to which the President had agreed. The Secretary suggested a formula along the following lines:
- (1)
- The plenary sessions of the Conference would be open to the public, including the press, radio, and newsreels;
- (2)
- The meetings of commissions would likewise be open to the public;
- (3)
- The Chairman of the Conference would hold a press conference every day at noon to keep the press fully posted on developments;
- (4)
- All other matters would be private. This would include meetings of subcommittees, the executive committee, and the steering committee.
The Secretary said that an arrangement along these lines had worked well at Mexico City, and that at his press conference here yesterday the correspondents had passed a resolution expressing approval of the Mexican arrangements and expressing the hope that similar arrangements could be made at San Francisco.
Senator Connally questioned having the meetings of Commissions open to the public on the ground that this would lengthen the Conference. Commander Stassen thought that while it might lengthen the Conference the price might be worth the benefits resulting from such a policy.
At this point as a result of a question concerning the commissions, Mr. Hiss explained briefly the tentative organization charts. He said that there probably would be five commissions as follows: (1) General Structure, (2) Security Problems, (3) Economic and Social Problems, (4) Judicial Organization and Legal Problems, (5) Trusteeship Arrangements. He pointed out that in addition there would be an executive committee consisting of the chairmen of the various delegations, a steering committee, and subcommittees of the various commissions.
[Page 117]Representative Bloom asked what was meant by “trusteeship”. It was explained that this had reference to the treatment of certain dependent territories, including the League mandates.37 He inquired whether the people would be satisfied with such a title for this subject. Representative Eaton inquired whether “trusteeship” would include the treatment of colonial problems.
The Secretary explained that at the San Francisco Conference it would be possible only to deal with arrangements for handling former League mandates and certain areas to be detached from the enemy powers. It would not be possible to deal with particular areas and there would be no consideration of the allocation or treatment of specific territories.
Senator Vandenberg said that this suggested one important matter which ought to be cleared up in the minds of the public; that is at San Francisco we would be dealing only with the creation of an organization—we would not be dealing with specific problems of the peace settlement, such as territorial dispositions. Senator Connally agreed with this and said that there was considerable confusion in the public mind as to the purpose of the Conference. There was general agreement that it was important to clarify the purpose of the Conference whenever opportunity offered.
Returning to the question of trusteeship, Representative Bloom inquired whether the proposals under consideration contemplated taking over the League mandates. Mr. Hiss said that this was so, but not as to the disposition to be made of specific mandated areas.
Commander Stassen expressed his approval of the use of the word “trusteeship”, and there was general agreement with this view. Representative Bloom said that he had only brought the question up for the purposes of clarification.
Representative Eaton inquired what this meant as to the disposition of the League of Nations. The Secretary pointed out that the League’s Supervisory “Commission had at a meeting in December appointed a committee of three members to negotiate with the new organization with respect to the disposition of the League’s property and functions.38 Mr. Pasvolsky said that the members of the League present at San Francisco might pass a resolution providing for the liquidation of the League. Senator Connally remarked that it was self-evident that we could not have two general organizations in being at the same time.
[Page 118]The Secretary said that the President had told him that he did not want alternates to the Delegates. The President had had some fifty or more suggestions for additions to the Delegation. He did not want to appoint any additional delegates or any alternates. This met with general approval.
At this point the meeting was adjourned to enable the Delegates to go to the White House.
Upon reconvening, a number of points concerning arrangements for the Conference were discussed.
[Here follows discussion of arrangements for Conference, such as transportation, office space, etc.]
Publicity Policy
Two questions as to policy with respect to publicity were raised: One as to statements by the Delegates at the Conference, and the second, statements preceding the Conference. It was agreed so far as the Conference period was concerned that no public statement should be made without consulting with the Delegation and the statements themselves would be released by the Delegation’s press officer. As to the period preceding the Conference, there seemed to be a consensus of opinion that there should be no effort to put “a lid” on statements now. This should be left to the discretion of each individual. There was some feeling that a public statement should be made to the effect that any Delegate should have the right to make public statements preceding the Conference, such statements having been shown to the other Delegates. No agreement was reached on this point.
Upon the request of the Secretary, the Delegates approved his making a public statement as to the liberal publicity policy to be followed with respect to proceedings of the Conference.
Committee of Jurists
The Secretary informed the Delegates that there had been an informal agreement at Dumbarton Oaks and later during informal conversations at Yalta that a committee of jurists should be convened prior to the Conference.39 He said that we were taking steps to consult the other sponsoring governments with a view to inviting all the governments participating in the Conference to send representatives to a committee of jurists to meet two weeks or so before the Conference. Mr. Hackworth would represent this Government.
- The United States delegation held 12 meetings in Washington, at the Department of State, before its departure for San Francisco on April 18; in San Francisco it held 67 meetings at the Fairmont Hotel, the first on April 23 and the last on June 23.↩
- See list of mandated territories and text (with annotations) of article 22 of the Covenant of the League of Nations, Foreign Relations, The Paris Peace Conference, 1919, vol. xiii, pp. 93–104.↩
- For summary of report of the Commission, see note No. 150 of March 30, from the British Ambassador to the Secretary of State, p. 175.↩
- See telegram 1944, March 13, 10 p.m., to London, infra. ↩