560.AL/8–546: Circular telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to Certain Diplomatic Officers 84
Depcirtel July 24 8 a.m. You are hereby authorized transmit ITO Charter with explanatory memo as soon as copies arrive.85
- Sent to the United States missions accredited to the eighteen governments named along with the United States in the ECOSOC resolution of February 18, 1946 as members of the Preparatory Committee for the International Conference on Trade and Employment.↩
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In a circular telegram of August 5, 10 p.m., the Department informed the missions at Canberra, Wellington, and Pretoria that “in addition to eight copies by regular air mail, three copies of ITO Charter have been sent you by special route … and should arrive by Aug. 9.” In the same telegram the Department cabled the text of the explanatory memorandum that was to accompany the draft Charter upon its transmittal to other governments; (see circular telegram, July 23, p. 1337).
The eighteen missions accredited to the governments members of the Preparatory Committee were informed in circular telegrams on dates varying from August 5 to August 9 that the Department planned to conduct bilateral discussions on the draft Charter with all the concerned governments. This set in motion the sequence of events related to the diplomatic discussions projected in the Department’s July planning.
The Embassy at London was instructed on August 6 to inform the British Government of the Department’s final position on the matter of the circulation of the draft Charter. The Department cabled: “Please inform British (urtel 7243, Aug. 3) we are proceeding transmit Charter other members Preparatory Committee on confidential basis but will not publish in immediate future. Also, in bilateral talks with these countries we will point out British have not been consulted in preparation of Charter and have for example criticized several provisions which we will mention. On whole we think this far better procedure than presentation to other countries of joint draft. …” (Telegram 5845, to London, August 6, 3 p.m., (560.AL/8–346)).
Copies of the draft Charter were on August 12 transmitted for information to the diplomatic missions in Washington of the concerned governments (memorandum notes dated August 12, 1946, (560.AL/8–1246)).
On September 12 the Department in a circular telegram informed all United States diplomatic missions except Madrid that this Government was releasing the draft “Suggested Charter” for publication on September 20, and that copies of the printed text were being forwarded by air mail for transmission to the government concerned. It was explained that the draft Charter represented an elaboration of the Proposals prepared in December, 1945 and contained detailed provisions for implementing the principles of the Proposals regarding international aspects of employment measures, reduction of trade barriers, elimination of restrictive business practices, commodity agreements and the creation of an international trade organization. The missions were to bring the foregoing to the attention of the Foreign Minister concerned on September 18, “stating that suggested Charter … is being put forward as a basis for discussion and not as document expressing final or fixed views of US Govt.” Copies of the Charter were to be given to the Foreign Ministries “upon arrival but not prior Sept 18.” (circular telegram, September 12, 1946, 10 a.m. (560.AL/9–1246)). The diplomatic missions in Washington were informed of these events and handed copies of the draft Charter for purposes of information on September 16. Copies had been sent to the Secretary-General of the United Nations on September 14.
For text of the “Suggested Charter for an International Trade Organization of the United Nations,” released by the Department of State on September 20, see Department of State Publication 2598. For the summary of provisions issued by the Department at the same time, see Department of State Bulletin, September 29, 1946, pp. 585 ff. See also, ibid., p. 585, for text of Department’s press release issued at this time, and text of a statement by the Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs (Clayton).
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