Foreign Relations of the United States, 1946, General; the United Nations, Volume I

501.BB/1–1946: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the United States Representative at the United Nations (Stettinius)

secret

Washington, February 14, 1946—1 p.m.

1512. Undel 208. For Hiss from Ross. Undel 157, Delun 104.²⁹ Following reactions to proposed UNO passport received from Passport and Visa Divisions:

(1) Passport Division considers it highly undesirable for US to consent to permit an international organization to decide who is or who is not a United States citizen or to document any person as a citizen of US. Passport Division notes that under existing US law only Secretary of State may issue and cause US passports to be issued. Passport Division considers that UNO officials should bear passports issued by countries to which they owe allegiance, when traveling internationally on United Nations or any other business but suggests that when UNO officials are traveling on UNO business they could in addition be issued credentials certifying to their official status in the organization and of the fact that they are traveling on business of the organization.

(2) Visa Division advises that it does not see how Dept can recognize passports issued by international organizations except as documents showing status of bearers as officers or employees of such organizations. Visa Division notes that a passport is a document of identity and nationality and therefore may properly be issued only by a government which recognizes and certifies bearer as one of its nationals with a right to return, even as a deportee, to the national territory.

Visa Division also finds objectionable provision of draft convention which appears to remove diplomatic or consular discretion in granting or refusing visas to aliens claiming to be officers or employees of UNO and gives them a priority over all other applicants at each office by prohibiting any delay in granting visas. Visa Division observes this would make granting of visas largely a ministerial function and there would be little reason for requiring visas in such cases. This does not mean however that Department should favor abolishing visa requirements.³⁰

In this connection however see Depts circular instruction of Jan. 24, 1946³¹ relating to special visa category established for international organizations officials by International Organizations Immunities Act. [Ross.]

Byrnes

[On February 14 the General Assembly received and adopted a report and draft resolution by the Sixth Committee that established the site of the permanent headquarters of the Organization “in Westchester (New York) and/or Fairfield (Connecticut) counties, i.e., near to New York City”; provided for a Headquarters Commission which was to “proceed as soon as possible to the region mentioned … with a view to carrying out an exhaustive study thereof and making recommendations to the General Assembly at the second part of its first session regarding the exact location to be selected within the aforementioned general region”; and located the interim headquarters of the Organization in New York City. For the report of the Sixth Committee see GA(I/1), Plenary, page 671, annex 29; and for proceedings of the General Assembly on February 14 see ibid., pages 535 ff. For text of the resolution, Resolution 25 (I), see GA (I/1), Resolutions, page 37.

The warm feelings of the United States Government and the American people were conveyed to the United Nations Organization by spokesmen of the United States at this time and earlier on February 13 on the occasion of the adoption of the two resolutions relating to the (General) Convention on Privileges and Immunities and the (Special) Convention between the United States and the United Nations on the site. Senator Vandenberg had told the General Assembly on February 13 that “the purpose and the intention and the heartfelt desire, not only of the delegation of the United States, but of the American people … is to extend every consideration, and to give every possible cooperation, to the UNO as it proceeds upon the greatest and most hopeful adventure in the history of human kind” (GA(I/1), Plenary, page 455). The United States Representative at the United Nations (Stettinius) told the General Assembly on February 14, after adoption of the resolution formally locating the seat of the United Nations in the United States, “On behalf of the people and the Government of my country, I wish to express our appreciation for the great honor that is bestowed upon the United States of America” (ibid., page 537).]

29. For telegram Delun 104, January 19, see p. 65. Telegram Undel 157 (telegram 1145 to London) was despatched to the United States Delegation on February 1 as an interim reply to the Delegation’s 104 and read: “Question of UNO passport is under study by Visa and Passport Divisions and we hope to transmit their views next week. Preliminary talks indicate such passports would have to be supplemented by national passports for purposes of US immigration laws.” (501.BB/1–1946)
30. The position established here by the Department was not set forth by the United States Delegation either in the Sixth Committee or the General Assembly in their deliberations on the draft general convention as the legislative process had been completed in the General Assembly on February 13.
31. Not printed.