Office of the Historian

IO Files: US/A/C.5/41

Memorandum of Conversation, by G. Hayden Raynor95

secret
[New York,] November 15, 1946.

This afternoon I expressed strongly to Mr. Gore-Booth96 our concern over the fact that the British had spoken in Committee 5 in favor of the United States contribution of 49.88 per cent.97 I also expressed regret that they had not consulted with us prior to making [Page 479] the statement. Mr. Gore-Booth expressed surprise that there had not been consultation and regret on his part that there had not been.

I then spoke of the concern felt by our Delegation, especially the Congressional members, with respect to this whole question. I stated that we viewed the matter as a very serious one and that we felt that a contribution of this size would have a most unfortunate effect in our Congress and in the country.

Mr. Gore-Booth stated that the British were under instructions to make a statement they had made on the economic aspect of the question and he felt they were right on that aspect. He added, however, that he knew there was considerable personal feeling in their Delegation that a single country should not be called upon for such a heavy contribution. He added that although they had been instructed to make the statement they made that this was not necessarily their last word on the subject. Entirely of his own volition he made the suggestion that it might be a good thing for Messrs. Noel-Baker98 and Younger to discuss this matter with Senators Austin and Vandenberg.99

  1. Mr. Raynor, an Adviser on the staff of the United States Delegation to the General Assembly, was Special Assistant to the Director of the Office of European Affairs, Department of State.↩
  2. P. H. Gore-Booth, Assistant Principal Adviser to the United Kingdom Delegation to the General Assembly.↩
  3. See telegram 802, November 14, from New York, p. 474.↩
  4. Philip Noel-Baker, Representative on the United Kingdom Delegation.↩
  5. No record has been found of such discussions.↩