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  4. Document 114

710 TEC/3–1945

Memorandum by the Director, Office of Financial and Development Policy (Collado)10

[Washington,] March 19, 1945.

June Technical Conference—Proposed Action

1. Time and Place

The Conference is scheduled to be convened on June 15 at the Pan American Union. It is imperative that the Conference be held out of Washington, and it is recommended that Mr. Holmes11 be requested to authorize Dr. Kelchner12 to discuss with the Pan American Union the possibility of holding the Conference at some place like Virginia, Hot Springs, this Government contributing necessary funds and controlling their use. This will presumably involve our in effect, taking over much if not all of the management of the Conference.

With respect to time it is pointed out that the San Francisco Conference13 may run slightly beyond June 15. On the other hand the Inter-American Agricultural Conference is scheduled for Caracas on July 24. It is not feasible to postpone the Technical Conference again after the build up it received at Mexico,14 so it is recommended that the Conference begin either on June 15 or within 10 days thereafter.15

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

[The program for the Inter-American Technical Economic Conference (filed under 710 TEC/6–1445, not printed) was composed of five parts. Section I on adjustments from war to peace included allocation of consumer and capital goods, inflation, price controls, enemy assets and foreign holdings. Section II was concerned with investment, public finance, taxation and stabilization. Under section III were assigned standardization of commodities and trade documents, trade statistics, and arbitration. Section IV on labor and social welfare embraced employment levels, labor standards, social welfare [Page 175] and health, consumption levels and population problems. In section V appeared problems of land, sea, and air transportation, communications, and tourist travel.]

  1. Addressed to Assistant Secretaries of State Rockefeller and Clayton.↩
  2. Julius C. Holmes, Assistant Secretary of State (for Administration).↩
  3. Warren Kelchner, Chief, Division of International Conferences.↩
  4. United Nations Conference on International Organization.↩
  5. At the Inter-American Conference on Problems of War and Peace.↩
  6. A marginal note reads: “McClintock [John C. McClintock, Special Assistant to Mr. Rockefeller] now suggests we ask Warren [Avra M. Warren, Director, Office of American Republic Affairs] and Rockefeller whether we could move the Conference to September.” A second note reads: “Mr. Clayton OK’s subject to Mr. Rockefeller’s OK, E. G. C.[ollado]. But get other countries to take initiative.” The suggestion to postpone the Conference proved to be acceptable and the Director General of the Pan American Union (Rowe) announced November 15, 1945, as the meeting date.↩