Office of the Historian

501/3–2046

Memorandum by the Associate Chief of the Division of International Security Affairs (Bancroft) to Certain Officers of the Division 34

[Washington,] March 20, 1946.

Subject: Matters which may come before the Security Council

It has been determined that there shall be formed State Department teams on various matters to be brought before the Security Council. Mr. Charles E. Bohlen has been appointed Special Assistant to the Secretary to direct these teams. The Director of each geographical office and of SPA will appoint representatives to work on the various teams as necessary. Mr. Joseph E. Johnson has the responsibility of acting for Mr. Hiss in this connection. Each of the geographical offices has appointed a United Nations liaison officer.35

Contact with the geographical offices on the following list of problems has been made by Mr. Kopper and work started. IS personnel should continue this work as follows. Please note that primary responsibility as between IS, OA and DA is also indicated.

1. The Iranian situation TS SKDK
2. Indonesia IS JS
3. Syria-Lebanon IS BGB
4. Greece IS BGB
5. Polish forces in northern Italy IS WA
6. Spain IS HJ
7. Manchuria IS SKCK
8. Turkish Straits OA DC
9. Turkish-Soviet frontier OA DC
10. Independent movements in Indochina OA, DA JS
11. India OA HJ
12. Indochina border dispute OA JS
13. British forces in Egypt IS DC
14. The Argentine situation OA WA
15. Admission of Albania OA WA
16. Soviet forces in Bornholm IS

These officers should check with Mr. Kopper immediately as to the status of the work on each problem. Mr. Kopper will turn over the [Page 16] necessary files. Work will be coordinated with other SPA Divisions as well as with geographical divisions, bearing constantly in mind IS responsibility as between IS and DA.

  1. Messrs. J. Wesley Adams, Jr., Bernhard G. Bechoefer, Daniel S. Cheever, Howard C. Johnson, Jr., Samuel K. C. Kopper, Warren A. Roberts and Joseph W. Scott, who made up the staff of the Non-Military Aspects of Security Branch of the Division of International Security Affairs.↩
  2. This group almost immediately acquired the name of United Nations Liaison Committee. Incomplete minutes of the meetings of this committee from its fourth meeting on April 17, 1946 are found in the Department’s unindexed files in Lot File 55–D429, Box 9978. Although the dates of the second and third meetings are known to be March 29 and April 5 respectively, there is no record of the first meeting date.↩