500.CC/3–1645: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the Soviet Union ( Harriman )
619. Reference Department’s 2051 to London60 repeated to you, the following note was transmitted today to the Soviet Ambassador here:61
“During the second phase of the Dumbarton Oaks Conversations last fall,62 representatives of the United States and the United Kingdom agreed that three points presented by the representatives of China were suitable for inclusion in the Proposals for the Establishment of [Page 127] a General International Organization and would be held for further consideration at a later stage. The three points are as follows:
The Charter should provide specifically that adjustment or settlement of international disputes should be achieved with due regard for principles of justice and international law.
The Assembly should be responsible for initiating studies and making recommendations with respect to the development and revision of the rules and principles of international law.
The Economic and Social Council should specifically provide for the promotion of educational and other forms of cultural cooperation.
The desirability of proceeding with issuing invitations for the United Nations Conference immediately after agreement among the sponsoring powers on the voting procedure in the Security Council made it inexpedient to consider any other changes in the Proposals prior to issuance of the invitations. However, this Government feels that the matter should now be brought to the attention of the Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.
This Government sees no objection to the incorporation of the substance of these three points in the charter of the general international organization to be prepared at San Francisco, and hopes that your Government will give the matter serious consideration. We will welcome your views on this subject.”
- Dated March 16, not printed; this telegram (repeated to Chungking as No. 618) summarized the Secretary’s note to the Soviet Ambassador (500.CC/3–1645).↩
- The note from the Secretary of State to Ambassador Gromyko was transmitted on March 17. The Chinese Minister and Counselor of Embassy, Liu Chieh, was informed on March 19 of this action taken by the Department; he said that this answered the question he had previously raised and that he was sure this action would be entirely satisfactory to his Government (500.CO/3– 1945).↩
- The Dumbarton Oaks Conversations were held in two phases: The first, from August 21 to September 28, 1944, by representatives of the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union; and the second, September 29 to October 7, by representatives of the United States, the United Kingdom, and China. See memorandum by Under Secretary Stettinius to Secretary Hull, October 3, 1944, Foreign Relations, 1944, vol. i, p. 863.↩