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

IO Files

Summary of the Sequence of Events Relating to Work of the United Nations Military Staff Committee on Article 43 of the United Nations Charter, New York, September 12–September 18, 1946⁵²

New York, September 18, 1946

secret

On 12 September 1946, General Kenney arranged a private visit with General Vasiliev with a view to encouraging some action on the part of the Soviet Representatives. General Vasiliev was advised that the U.S. Delegation was about to submit a proposal for the subcommittee on basic principles to reconvene and continue with its work. General Vasiliev was encouraged to do everything possible in order that the Soviet Delegation could take part in the work of the subcommittee when it was reconvened.

On 13 September 1946, to further confirm the comment General Kenney had made to General Vasiliev, the U.S. Delegation submitted a proposal outlining the directive which the Military Staff Committee had received. The resolution which the subcommittee had adopted was also reviewed with emphasis placed on the fact that four members had complied with the resolution but since all members had not complied, the second meeting of the subcommittee had been delayed indefinitely. The U.S. Delegation therefore proposed that the Military Staff Committee consider whether or not it was desirable for the sub-committee to resume its work at an early date with instructions to study all available oral and written statements which may be presented by any members and to submit recommendations to the Military Staff Committee as soon as possible.

On 18 September 1946, at the 18th meeting of the Military Staff Committee, the U.S. proposal to resume work of the subcommittee on basic principles was considered. The Soviet Delegation made a long statement, it pointed out the question of the armed forces to be made available to the Security Council was a new question in history and a rather complicated one. In the course of the statement, the Soviet Delegation submitted a proposal entitled “The Purpose of the United Nations Armed Forces”.⁵³ In submitting the proposal, the Soviet Representatives pointed out that they were only submitting the first question, namely the question of the Purpose of the United Nations Armed Forces, for consideration. It was pointed out that it was quite obvious that other questions such as the basic principles governing the organization of the armed forces and the employment of the armed forces would have to be discussed. General Kenney proposed that the subcommittee should resume meetings at an early date. The Soviet Representatives proposed further that the subcommittee should keep to an order of sequence in their discussions. The first principle questions which the subcommittee should consider and discuss was the question of the Purpose of the United Nations Forces. After the subcommittee had completed work on the subject of “Purpose” it should submit its recommendations to the Military Staff Committee for its consideration and approval. The proposal of General Kenney with the modifications proposed by the Soviet Delegation were adopted by the Military Staff Committee.

52. This document is an excerpt from document USMS/54/2, Enclosure “B,” a summary covering the period February 15–October 24, 1946, submitted to the Joint Chiefs of Staff by the United States Representatives on the Military Staff Committee on October 25. Paragraph letter designations and references by document symbol to unprinted Military Staff Committee documentation which appear in the source text have been omitted. (IO Files)

53. The Soviet proposal was as follows:

    • “1. All Armed Forces, made available to the Security Council by Member Nations of the United Nations, in accordance with Articles 42 and 43 of the Charter, are intended for the sole purpose of prevention or suppression of acts of aggression with the object of maintaining or restoring international peace and security.
    • 2. The Armed Forces, made available to the Security Council by Member Nations, are placed at its disposal only for the period necessary to prevent or to suppress aggression.
    • 3. The Armed Forces, made available to the Security Council by Member Nations of the United Nations, may be employed only by decision of the Security Council and only in such cases when measures, taken in accordance with Article 41, would be or have proved inadequate to prevent or suppress aggression and when the threat to world peace and security is such that it necessitates the employment of these Armed Forces.
    • 4. These Armed Forces may not be employed for purposes inconsistent with the principles and the spirit of the United Nations Charter, with principles of equal rights and self-determination of nations, or for the purpose of suppressing national liberating movements or interfering in the internal affairs of a State.
    • 5. After the Armed Forces, made available to the Security Council, have fulfilled their task of prevention or the suppression of aggression, they shall be withdrawn to their national territories in not more than . . . . . days from the date of the termination of such activities, unless otherwise decided by the Security Council.
    • 6. If for any reasons these Armed Forces remain in territories or territorial waters granted for the use of such Forces, under special agreements between the Security Council and other Member Nations, for the passage, stationing or action of these Forces against an aggressor, they shall be withdrawn to their national territories not later than 30 days after the termination of activities undertaken for the purpose of prevention or suppression of aggression, unless otherwise decided by the Security Council.” (IO Files)