CFM Files
United States Delegation Journal
USDel (PC) (Journal) 17
In opening the second meeting of the Commission the Chairman called for nominations for rapporteur. Representatives of Belgium, China and Brazil were nominated but felt obliged to refuse. The Yugoslav representative then nominated a member of the New Zealand Delegation who accepted and was elected by acclamation. The Chairman announced that the General Secretariat had prepared the following allocation of work for the Commission: Preamble; Articles 1 to 38, inclusive; Article 63; Article 72; Articles 75 to 78, inclusive, and relevant annexes (nos. 1, 2 and 3). He noted that the Secretary General suggested that the Commission work closely with the Legal and Drafting Commission on Articles 18 to 31 inclusive, and with the Military, Naval and Air Commission on Articles 11 (2), 12 and 63. He felt that the Military, Naval and Air Commission might wish to consult with the Political and Territorial Commission on Articles 40 and 41.
The Chairman referred to midnight August 20 as the deadline for submission of proposed amendments to the draft treaty and asked that all delegations submit their amendments in advance of the deadline.
The Chairman made the following suggestions: (1) postponement of consideration of the Preamble with consideration of the draft articles, section by section, at the next meeting beginning with Article 1, [Page 248] with documents to be limited strictly to the article under consideration; (2) that the Commission invite the Italian Delegation to submit a memorandum on points it wishes to raise, prepared in the sequence in which articles will be considered; (3) that the Delegates circulate written statements before or at each meeting supporting the views that they will put forward orally. Mr. Vyshinsky did not feel that consideration of the Preamble should be deferred. No contrary views being expressed, the Chairman understood that the Commission accepted his three points with the exception of the deferment of the Preamble.
The representative of the Secretary General agreed, in reply to an inquiry from the Netherlands representative, that all “in camera” proposals would be circulated to all members of the Commission. The Chairman, in reply to an inquiry from the Belgium representative, stated that amendments could be moved at any time but that the deadline of August 20 had been fixed to facilitate the work of the Commission. He stated that the Preamble would be considered at the next meeting.