RSC Lot 60–D 224, Box 96: US Cr. Min 2 (Exec)
Minutes of the Second Meeting (Executive, Session) of the United States Delegation, Held at Washington, Friday, March 23, 1943, 10 a.m.
[Here follows list of names of persons (14) present at meeting.]
[At the request of the Acting Secretary this meeting was declared off the record.]9
Relation of Private Organizations to the Conference
The Acting Secretary opened the meeting by stating that Mr. Stettinius had asked him to call this special meeting to discuss an important question that had arisen in connection with the San Francisco Conference. …
The Acting Secretary said that the point to be taken up at the Secretary’s request concerned the relation of private organizations [Page 149] and groups in this country to the San Francisco Conference. In this connection two documents were distributed: Draft of Letter to be Sent to Various Private National Organizations and a list entitled Private National Organizations.10
The Acting Secretary pointed out that a great number of private organizations and groups want to be represented in San Francisco and that there were good reasons why many of them should be there. However, it was felt to be unfortunate to overload the official Delegation with such representatives, although the possibility had been considered of recognizing official representatives of a number of these organizations as official advisers to the Delegation. If this plan were adopted, however, the Delegation Would reach tremendous proportions.
The Acting Secretary stated that the thought in the Department now was that each organization named on the list of private national organizations would send one representative to San Francisco to be there for consultation as this might prove desirable. These representatives would not be official members of the American Delegation, but a full system of liaison would be set up to keep them closely in touch with the progress of the work. The representatives would be consulted from time to time as appropriate.
. . . . . . .
Senator Vandenberg urged that, if proper emphasis was put upon the fact that the United Nations Conference at San Francisco was to be a “peace-keeping” show and not a “peace-making” show, then a large number of organizations seeking representation would not be interested. Representative Eaton agreed that a clear statement of what the Conference was to do would alleviate the situation.
The Acting Secretary asked Mr. Hiss to note that a statement along the lines suggested by Senator Vandenberg and Representative Eaton should be prepared.
. . . . . . .
At this point the meeting was adjourned to enable the Delegates to go to the White House.11
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The Acting Secretary asked Mr. MacLeish if he would be responsible for drafting the statement under discussion. Mr. MacLeish asked whether the decision taken by the Delegates implied that the number of official advisers would be increased. There was general agreement that this was not implied. Mr. MacLeish stated that he had one thing further in mind which he thought should be emphasized: [Page 150] the people of this country, indeed the people of the world had been invited to discuss the Dumbarton Oaks Proposals and think about them. The statement that was now to be drawn up, he felt, should not discourage them in any way from continuing to discuss and to think about the Proposals, nor should it play down the San Francisco Conference. In a real sense, he said, that Conference was the people’s show. We would have to give the impression that they could come to it yet not invite them—a difficult thing to do.
Senator Connally added that the statement should stress the impracticality of delegates conferring with large numbers of representatives due to their heavy duties and schedules. Representative Bloom agreed that the statement should not play up the role of the people at the Conference at the expense of the Delegates so that the Delegates would be unable to perform their primary responsibilities at San Francisco.
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The meeting was adjourned by the Acting Secretary at 12:30 p.m.