Office of the Historian

501.AC/6–1047

Memorandum by the Acting Legislative Counsel for the Department of State1 (Sandifer) to the Under Secretary of State (Acheson)

[Washington,] June 10, 1947.

United Nations Convention on Privileges and Immunities

In the course of a conversation with Senator Vandenberg yesterday afternoon, I raised the question of the Foreign Relations Committee [Page 42] taking action on the United Nations Convention on Privileges and Immunities before the end of this session. I remarked that it might be embarrassing for the United States Delegation to have to go to the General Assembly in September without this Convention having been accepted by the United States.

Senator Vandenberg reiterated his insistence on the reservation on the question of tax immunity and on exemptions from military service. I told him that I thought that the reservation on military service would not cause any particular difficulty, but that the reservation on tax immunity would raise a very serious problem. He said that he had not been convinced that there was any valid basis for according a favored position to American citizens employed by the United Nations.

It seems clear that he will insist on the reservations in the Committee. He suggested that we might get some other member of the Committee to present the State Department’s position. He also suggested the possibility of having action on the Convention begin in the House since it is to be approved by Joint Resolution.

Durward V. Sandifer

  1. The position of Legislative Counsel for the Department of State was announced on February 4, 1947. The Department of State Bulletin stated that the Legislative Counsel “will provide legal guidance to various offices and divisions in the Department concerned with legislative action and will assist in the preparation of proposed legislation and coordinate its presentation to the Congress. His office will be responsible within the Department for the coordination of reports, comments, expressions of opinion, and communications to Congress concerning proposed legislation, treaties, and conventions.”

    The office of the Legislative Counsel was attached to that of the Legal Adviser.

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