Office of the Historian

IO Files: Lot 53D291 (V), Box 53, “Passports & 9th Proviso”

Memorandum by Mr. Calvin J. Nichols,1 Executive Officer of the Office of United Nations Affairs, to Members of the Committee on United Nations Visa Problems2

[Washington,] June 10, 1948.

Subject: Definition of United Nations “Headquarters District and its Immediate Vicinity”.3

At the meeting this afternoon4 GA will provide, for the convenience of the members of the committee, a map of the New York area. While the committee is, of course, free to consider any plans which might be suggested, several proposals which have been made in the past [Page 60] have been entered in ink on the face of the map. These proposals, referred to in my memorandum of June 1, are desscribed below:

1.
Approximate 100 mile area (described on the map by solid, black line) would include:
  • New York City;
  • All of Long Island;
  • New Haven and Litchfield Counties, Connecticut;
  • Dutchess County, New York, to the Hudson River;
  • Along the Hudson River to Kingston, New York;
  • From Kingston along US #209 to Port Jervis through New Jersey, to Philadelphia;
  • Through Philadelphia along US #30 to Atlantic City.
2.
An approximate 100 mile area bounded entirely by county lines (described on the map in a solid, green line) would include:
  • New York City;
  • All of Long Island;
  • Putnam, Westchester, Dutchess, Rockland, Orange, and Ulster Counties in New York State;
  • Fairfield, New Haven, and Litchfield Counties in Connecticut;
  • All of New Jersey except Gloucester, Salem, Cumberland, and Cape May Counties; and perhaps the City of Philadelphia.
3.
An approximate 50 mile area (described on the map in a dotted line) would include:
  • New York City;
  • Long Island, from Patchogue to Port Jefferson on New York State Highway #112;
  • Along the Housatonic River bordering on Fairfield County to Candlewood Lake, Connecticut;
  • From Candlewood Lake through Putnam County, New York to the Hudson River;
  • Across the Hudson River to include all of Rockland County, Passaic County through Lake Hopatcong, to Notcong, south of Lake Hopatcong;
  • Along New Jersey State Highway #31 and US #206 to Sommerville, New Jersey;
  • From Sommerville along Raritan River to include Perth Amboy and Staten Island.
4.
A small area extending in some directions approximately 50 miles, bounded entirely by county lines (described on the map by a broken line) would include:
  • All of New York City;
  • Nassau County in Long Island;
  • Rockland and Westchester Counties in New York State;
  • Hudson, Union, Essex, Passaic, and Bergen Counties in New Jersey;
  • And Fairfield County in Connecticut.
5.
A minimum area (described on the map by an alternating dot and dash line) would include: [Page 61]
  • New York City;
  • Long Island limited by the Bay Shore to Northport Road;
  • From Norwalk along US #7 to Branchville, Connecticut;
  • From Branchville to Ridgefield on Connecticut State Highway #102;
  • From Ridgefield to the Westchester County line on Connecticut State Highway #35;
  • To include all of Westchester County; and Rockland County, New York;
  • To include all of Bergen County and Essex County, New Jersey, plus Elizabeth and Staten Island.

  1. Mr. Nichols indicated in the heading to the memorandum that in this particular instance he was acting for Walter M. Kotschnig, Chief of the Division of International Organization Affairs.↩
  2. The Committee on United Nations Visa Problems functioned under terms of reference established on January 8, 1948:
    • “1. To examine and formulate recommendations regarding (a) action to be taken by the United States Government in implementation of Article IV of the Headquarters Agreement with the United Nations (as put into effect pursuant to Public Law 357, 80th Congress) to grant visas without charge and as promptly as possible to certain classes of persons coming to the United States in connection with the activities of the United Nations and specialized agencies; (b) similar action with respect to visas in the case of persons entitled to diplomatic privileges under Article V of the Agreement, and (c) the development of procedures required to ensure effective implementation.
    • “2. To expedite action on specific cases arising under Articles IV and V of the Agreement.”

    The Visa Committee was composed of representatives of USUN and in the Department of State of officers from the Office of Special Political Affairs (SPA) (subquently the Office of United Nations Affairs), the Visa Division, the Special Assistant to the Secretary of State for Press Relations, the Office of the Legal Adviser, and the Division of Foreign Activity Correlation. (USUN Files, Central Subject File, “IO: Privileges & Immunities: Correspondents”, UN Visa Committee Memorandum, January 8, 1948)

    ↩
  3. The legislation authorizing the Headquarters Agreement required that the “immediate vicinity” be defined in a supplementary agreement between the United States and the United Nations (Annex 1 to Public Law 357, August 4, 1947, 61 Stat. (pt. 4) 3435).↩
  4. Minutes of the meeting are printed, infra.↩