Office of the Historian

501.BC/10–1646

Memorandum by the Director of the Office of Special Political Affairs (Hiss)68

[Washington, October 16, 1946.]

Subject: Consultation with other Members of the Security Council on the Veto Question.

It is proposed that as soon as the U.S. position paper on the veto question is fully approved in the Department, a communication be submitted to each of the other four permanent members of the Security Council, briefly setting forth in substance:

(1)
That the U.S. regards the principle of unanimity as reflected in the Yalta voting formula as sound and valid;
(2)
That accordingly, the U.S. does not at the present time favor any amendment to Article 27 of the Charter nor a modification of the Four-Power Statement issued at San Francisco;
(3)
That the U.S. does, however, favor a liberalized interpretation of Article 27 and the Four-Power Statement along the lines of the three points set forth in the U.S. position paper.
(4)
That the U.S. favors full discussion of the veto question in the General Assembly, including the Cuban proposal, but will oppose the calling of a general conference to amend or eliminate the so-called-veto privilege.
(5)
That the U.S. position with respect to voting on the Security Council does not alter the position taken on the problem of the application of the veto in the control of atomic energy.

This procedure will enable the Governments of the other four permanent members of the Security Council to consider the U.S. position in advance of discussion in the General Assembly or in Committee. It will also make it possible if deemed advisable by the permanent members, to have discussion at the expert level as to the methods of carrying forward, by Rules of Procedure or otherwise, the U.S. proposal [Page 298] for a liberalized interpretation of Article 27 and the Four-Power Statement.69

  1. Addressed to the Counselor (Cohen) and the Under Secretary of State (Acheson).↩
  2. Marginal notation by Elwood N. Thompson, Special Assistant to the Director of the Office of Special Political Affairs (Hiss): “I have told Harding Bancroft [now Associate Chief of the Division of International Security Affairs] to go ahead & prepare the paper suggested. ENT.” For subsequent developments concerning this proposed communication to the four other permanent members of the Security Council, see pp. 317 ff.↩