Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1945, General: Political and Economic Matters, Volume II

840.50 UNRRA/10–3145

The Secretary of State to the Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee (Cannon)¹⁸

Washington, October 31, 1945.

Dear Mr. Cannon: In my letter to you of October 22, 1945,¹⁹ I expressed the view that it would be unfortunate to include new and restrictive conditions in the pending UNRRA appropriation legislation. In this connection I would like to refer to one of the conditions which has been proposed in various forms relating to the freedom of properly accredited representatives of the press of the United Nations to enter areas receiving UNRRA assistance. I have already indicated to you that I did not believe this proposal, in any of its forms, should be accepted.

I want, particularly, to explain my views on this matter. The reason for my belief, as I am sure you know, has nothing to do with the intrinsic merit of the suggestion: I am thoroughly in favor of that.

I do not believe, however, that the bill appropriating the remaining funds already authorized for our participation in UNRRA is the appropriate device through which to seek the result we all desire.

It would be fortunate indeed if we could provide succor under ideal conditions of all kinds, but hunger and cold and tragedy will not wait upon perfection. We cannot put ourselves in the position of denying promised relief to millions of human beings because we have failed to secure our other objectives in advance.

It is my firm hope that all people may soon enjoy complete access to the news as well as freedom of speech and of belief and of assembly, but I fear that the attachment of conditions in our appropriation bill may hurt rather than help us in our efforts to achieve these ends.

To carry on our foreign relations we have regular mechanisms of international intercourse. We are using these with vigor to implement our foreign policy. We have already met with a considerable degree of success in providing our correspondents access to the news, and I am convinced that the course we are following is the correct one. We must seek our ends by negotiation and agreement, not by ultimatum.

Sincerely yours,

James F. Byrnes

18. A letter of substantially the same purport was sent on November 7, 1945, to Senator Kenneth McKellar, President Pro Tempore of the Senate.
19. Reference here is presumably to a letter of October 22, 1945, from the Assistant Secretary of State (Clayton) to Mr. Cannon, not printed.