IO Files: USGA/Ia/19
Memorandum for the Record
Slate changes were frequently so rapid and dependent on so many different factors that any account can be only a brief condensation. There may nevertheless be some value, for future reference, in a cursory record.
Pursuant to conversations among delegations in the period leading up to the opening of the General Assembly on January 10, which were conducted by Mr. Adlai Stevenson with the assistance of the Political Advisers, the delegation had arrived at a slate of committee officerships embodied in USGA/1a/12, January 10, 1946 (which see). A balance among the chairmanships was a course sought by the five [Page 164] permanent members for the purpose of a proper political equilibrium in the General Committee on which the chairmen of the six committees sit with the already chosen GA president (Spaak, Belgium) and seven vice-presidents (the five permanent members, Venezuela, South Africa). The six agreed chairmen were thereupon elected on January 11 as follows:
| Committee 1— | Political and Security D. Z. Manuilsky (Ukrainian SSR) |
| Committee 2— | Economic and Financial W. Konderski (Poland) |
| Committee 3— | Social, Humanitarian and Cultural P. Fraser (New Zealand) |
| Committee 4— | Trusteeship R. MacEachen (Uruguay) |
| Committee 5— | Administrative and Budgetary Faris al Khouri (Syria) |
| Committee 6— | Legal R. Jiménez (Panama) |
In arriving at the decision of MacEachen as chairman for Committee 4 the United States had held out against the choice, by an American Republics caucus, of Bolivia for that position.
Although the immediate question was the election of chairmen only, we had at an early date a slate of vice-chairmen and rapporteurs also in mind as follows:
| Chairman | Vice-Chairman | Rapporteur | |
| 1 | Manuilsky Ukrainian SSR |
Entezam Iran |
Viteri Lafronte Ecuador |
| 2 | Konderski Poland |
Lopez Philippines |
Salamanca Bolivia |
| 3 | Fraser New Zealand |
Soto Harrison Costa Rica |
Mrs. Frieda Dalen Norway |
| 4 | MacEachen Uruguay |
Bech Luxembourg |
Kerno Czechoslovakia |
| 5 | Faris al Khouri Syria |
Bebler Yugoslavia |
Aghnides Greece |
| 6 | Jiménez Panama |
Federspiel Denmark |
Verzijl64
Netherlands |
The listing of Ecuador and Bolivia for rapporteurships was a recommendation of the American Republics group in consequence of negotiations among themselves growing out of distribution of other offices (including specifically the election as chairman of Committee 4 of MacEachen of Uruguay in preference to Salamanca of Bolivia). Shifts as between the particular committee officerships allocated earlier for certain delegations had also been incorporated in this slate by reason of personal competence of members of those delegations. Denmark, for example, preferred that it should have the vice-chairmanship [Page 165] of Committee 6 rather than of Committee 4 because Federspiel, a competent and experienced presiding officer with excellent knowledge of English, is a legal expert rather than an expert in trusteeship matters; and Denmark obtained the assent of Bech of Luxembourg to take the Committee 4 vice chairmanship so that Federspiel might have the Committee 6 vice chairmanship. Similarly Norway’s presence on the slate on Committee 3 was a consequence of the fact that the Norwegian delegation preferred that any rapporteurship given to it should be in Committee 3 where Mrs. Frieda Dalen, particularly competent for the work, would be attending.
When approached as to the vice-chairmanship of Committee 1, Iran stated an unwillingness to serve and requested not to be placed upon the slate at all (on the ground that her participation in the Executive Committee should now give preference to other delegations). We thereupon favored making use of Bech’s talents on Committee 1, to which he assented.
Committee 6 was the first to meet for the purpose of electing all its officers. Because of the weakness of the chairman and because of difficulty encountered before the meeting in obtaining assent for a Netherlands rapporteur, we were able to get agreement for John Read of Canada as rapporteur and he was duly elected, with Federspiel of Denmark named vice chairman as planned.
Salamanca told us on January 21 that he preferred that if Bolivia were to be given the rapporteurship of Committee 2, the choice fall to Eduardo del Portillo of his delegation This was generally assented to.
The critical question became the problem of a vice-chairman for Committee 4. Russian assent and the assent of the other five permanent members was obtained for putting Turkey in the position. The Turkish delegation showed no enthusiasm for this assignment, and the British therefore undertook to talk further with the Turks. The British thereafter told us that the Turks would accept. After we asked the British on the morning of January 21 for confirmation of this assurance, they came to us just before lunch and stated that Turkey refused to accept. During luncheon the British tried out the idea of giving this vice chairmanship to China, Iran, or Canada, but did not obtain assent from the Soviet Union. The Committee elections came immediately after lunch. The British nominated Ethiopia for the position and we obtained for it a few supporting statements from the floor by other delegations. No other nomination was made and the Ethiopian representative on Committee 4 was duly placed in the vice chairmanship.
From time to time in the placing of names for nomination in the meetings of the respective committees we were embarrassed by the absence or tardy arrival of delegates who had agreed to place particular names in nomination. In such instances we had to make [Page 166] immediate alternate arrangements with other delegates and managed to be successful in each case.
The complete list of officers (see USGA/1a/15)65 elected for the six committees follows:
| Committee | Chairman | Vice Chairman | Rapporteur |
| 1 | Manuilsky Ukrainian SSR |
Bech Luxembourg |
Viteri Lafronte Ecuador |
| 2 | Konderski Poland |
Lopez Philippines |
del Portillo66
Bolivia |
| 3 | Fraser New Zealand |
Soto Harrison Costa Rica |
Mrs. Frieda Dalen Norway |
| 4 | MacEachen Uruguay |
Belata Ephrem Tewelde Medhen67 Ethiopia |
Kerno Czechoslovakia |
| 5 | Faris al Khouri Syria |
Bebler Yugoslavia |
Aghnides Greece |
| 6 | Jiménez Panama | Federspiel Denmark |
John Read Canada |