500.CC/3–2245

Memorandum by the Acting Secretary of State to President Roosevelt

I talked to Ed Stettinius this morning over the telephone,95 and he spoke of a matter which I think should be brought to your attention. It refers to the question of the two Soviet Republics being proposed for admission to initial membership in the International Organization with our support in accordance with the discussions at Yalta. It appears that this matter is known to quite a number of people, including some of the Press, and we know ourselves that the British and the Canadians here know of it and have no doubt spoken of it to their friends. In these circumstances it would seem highly advisable that you call together the American delegates to the Conference before you leave town,96 tell them the facts of the situation, and ask their advice as to how this matter should be dealt with. It would seem possible to tell the delegates that in order to accomplish other things of very great importance there seemed to be no reason why this minor request should not have been agreed to, and the delegates might also be informed that you are in possession of letters from both Marshal Stalin and Prime Minister Churchill 97 that, if so desired, the United States might also avail itself of an opportunity to arrange for additional representation by its outlying territories.98

It would seem advisable to inform the delegates because, if by any chance the story should break publicly, it might cause considerable embarrassment to the Government, and there is no telling of the effect it might have on some of the delegates, particularly if they had not been informed beforehand.

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I have called a meeting of the delegates in my office at ten o’clock, Friday morning, March 23rd, and, if convenient to you, we could come to the White House for a very few minutes after the meeting here or at any time convenient to you.99 I do agree with Ed Stettinius that it would probably be most advisable to deal with this matter before you leave town Saturday evening.

Joseph C. Grew
  1. The Secretary was at his farm, “The Horseshoe”.
  2. President Roosevelt was to go to Warm Springs, Georgia.
  3. For letters of February 11 from Prime Minister Churchill and Marshal Stalin to President Roosevelt, see Conferences at Malta and Yalta, pp. 967968.
  4. For President Roosevelt’s off-the-record account of how “this plea for votes was done” at Yalta, see memorandum on his press conference April 5, p. 196. See also Robert E. Sherwood, Roosevelt and Hopkins: An Intimate History, pp. 855–858 and 876–877.
  5. At the White House, President Roosevelt informed the delegates of the status of the agreement reached at the Yalta Conference on the possibility of the United States having three votes in the General Assembly if the United Nations agreed to let the Soviet Republics have three votes (Postwar Foreign Policy Preparation, p. 422). No verbatim record of this meeting found in Department files.