Office of the Historian
  1. Home
  2. Historical Documents
  3. Foreign Relations of the United States, 1948, General; the United Nations, Volume I, Part 1
  4. Introductory note

Introductory note

AMERICAN FOREIGN POLICY: SELECTED PUBLIC DOCUMENTS

Beginning with the year 1950, American Foreign Policy, a companion series to Foreign Relations of the United States, provides systematic coverage of the principal messages, addresses, statements, and reports made in a given period that indicate the scope, goals, and implementation of the foreign policy of the United States. For the immediately preceding years, 1945–1949 inclusive, the present series, Foreign Relations, will provide under this heading a brief indication of certain major documents in these categories. The present listing covers the year 1948. It does not purport to be complete, of course, and as a rule items dealing primarily with United States relations with particular countries will be noted in the compilations for those countries. Many of the items cited below are also referred to in appropriate compilations in the various volumes for 1948, which are organized as follows:

1948, volume I, General; The United Nations (in two parts)
volume II, Germany and Austria
volume III, Western Europe
volume IV, Eastern Europe; The Soviet Union
volume V, The Near East, South Asia, and Africa (in two parts)
volume VI, The Far East and Australasia
volume VII, The Far East: China
volume VIII, The Far East: China
volume IX, The Western Hemisphere I.

I. Major Public Statements of American Foreign Policy

“American Aid in Restoring the European Community”: Address by the Counselor of the Department of State (Bohlen) at Madison, Wisconsin, January 5, 1948. Department of State Bulletin (hereinafter cited as Bulletin), January 18, 1948, pp. 78–82.

Annual Message of the President to the Congress on the State of the Union. January 7, 1948. (As delivered in person before a joint session.) Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Harry S. Truman, 1948 (Washington, Government Printing Office, 1964) (hereinafter cited as Public Papers: Truman, 1948), pp. 1–10.

Assistance to European Economic Recovery. Statement by the Secretary of State (Marshall) before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations on January 8, 1948. Bulletin, January 18, 1948, pp. 71–77.

Relation of European Recovery Program to American Foreign Policy. Statement by the Secretary of State (Marshall) before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs on January 12, 1948. Ibid., January 25, 1948, pp. 112–114.

[Page VIII]

Annual Budget Message of the President to the Congress: Fiscal Year 1949. January 12, 1948. (Released January 12, 1948. Dated January 6, 1948.) Public Papers: Truman, 1948, pp. 19–59.

“The Stake of the Businessman in the European Recovery Program”: Address by the Secretary of State (Marshall) at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, January 15, 1948. Bulletin, January 25, 1948, pp. 108–111.

Foreign Relief Assistance Act of 1948. Hearings Held in Executive Session Before the Committee on Foreign Relations, United States Senate, Eightieth Congress, Second Session, on United States Assistance to European Economic Recovery, Aid to China, Continued Assistance to Greece and Turkey, Additional Money for the International Children’s Emergency Fund, and the Nomination of Paul G. Hoffman as Administrator of the Economic Cooperation Administration. (Executive hearings held on February 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 17, 24, 26, and 28, and March 15, 17, 20, 22, and 25 and April 7, 1948; made public June 11, 1973.) Historical Series. Committee print.

“Survival of Democracy Dependent on Success of ERP”: Address by the Secretary of State (Marshall) at Des Moines, Iowa, February 13, 1948. Bulletin, February 22, 1948, pp. 231–232.

Special Message of the President to the Congress on the Need for Assistance to China. February 18, 1948. Public Papers: Truman, 1948, pp. 144–146.

The United States, France, and the United Kingdom Condemn Development in Czechoslovakia. Declaration issued jointly and simultaneously in Washington, Paris, and London, February 26, 1948. Bulletin, March 7, 1948, p. 304.

Special Message of the President to the Congress Requesting Extension of the Reciprocal Trade Act. March 1, 1948. Public Papers: Truman, 1948, pp. 168–170.

Communist Seizure of Power in Czechoslovakia. Statement by the Secretary of State (Marshall), March 10, 1948. Bulletin, March 21, 1948, p. 381.

“Cool Judgment Urged in Solving World Crisis”: Address by the Secretary of State (Marshall) in Washington, D.C., March 11, 1948. Ibid., pp. 374–375.

Special Message of the President to the Congress on the Threat to the Freedom of Europe. March 17, 1948. (As delivered in person before a joint session.) Public Papers: Truman, 1948, pp. 182–186.

Relation of Military Strength to Diplomatic Action. Statement by the Secretary of State (Marshall) before the Armed Services Committee of the Senate on March 17, 1948. Bulletin, March 28, 1948, pp. 421–422.

“World-Wide Struggle Between Freedom and Tyranny”: Address by the Secretary of State (Marshall) in Berkeley, California, March 19, 1948. Ibid., pp. 422–425.

The Situation in Palestine. Statement by the Secretary of State (Marshall) at a news conference in Los Angeles, California, March 20, 1948. Ibid., p. 408.

Statement by the President on the Signing of the Charter of the International Trade Organization. March 24, 1948. Public Papers: Truman, 1948, p. 190.

“Completion of ITO Charter Hailed as Hope for Troubled World”: Statement by the Department of State. March 25, 1948. With related materials, Bulletin, April 4, 1948, pp. 441–445.

“Interdependence of the Americas”: Address by the Secretary of State (Marshall) at Botogá, Colombia, April 1, 1948. Ibid., April 11, 1948, p. 469.

Statement by the President Upon Signing the Foreign Assistance Act of 1948. April 3, 1948. Public Papers: Truman, 1948, p. 203.

“Freedom of Information Throughout World Insures Peace”: Address by [Page IX] William Benton, Chairman, U.S. Delegation to the Freedom of Information Conference at Geneva. Delivered before the Anglo-American Press Club in Paris, April 7, 1948. Bulletin, April 18, 1948, pp. 518–520.

Special Message of the President to the Congress Urging Approval of a Loan to the United Nations for the Construction of Its Permanent Headquarters. April 7, 1948. Public Papers: Truman, 1948, pp. 206–207. Special Message of the President to the Congress on Economic Aid to Latin America, April 8, 1948. Ibid., pp. 207–208.

Address of the President Before a Joint Session of the Congress in Observance of the 50th Anniversary of Cuban Independence. April 19, 1948. Ibid., pp. 224–226.

Letter From the President to Secretary of Commerce Harriman Following His Nomination as U.S. Special Representative in Europe. April 22, 1948. Ibid., pp. 226–227.

Strengthening the United Nations, Statement by the Secretary of State (Marshall) before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs on May 5, 1948. Bulletin, May 16, 1948, pp. 623–625.

Statements by the President and the Secretary of State, May 11 and 12, 1948, and related materials concerning statements by the Ambassador in the Soviet Union (Smith) on May 4 and the Soviet Minister for Foreign Affairs (Molotov) on May 9. Bulletin, May 23, 1948, pp. 679–686.

The Vandenberg Resolution and the North Atlantic Treaty. Hearings Held in Executive Session Before the Committee on Foreign Relations, United States Senate, Eightieth Congress, Second Session, on S. Res. 239, Reaffirming the Policy of the United States To Achieve International Peace and Security Through the United Nations and Indicating Certain Objectives To Be Pursued, and Eighty-First Congress, First Session, on Executive L, The North Atlantic Treaty. (Executive hearings held on May 11, 12, and 19, and June 3, 1948, and February 18, March 8, April 5, 12, 19, and 21, and June 2 and 6, 1949; made public August 1973). Historical Series. Committee print.

Statement by the President Announcing Recognition of the State of Israel. May 14, 1948. Public Papers: Truman, 1948, p. 258.

“Achievements of the Bogotá Conference”: Address by Norman Armour, Assistant Secretary of State for Political Affairs, at Washington, D.C., on May 12, 1948. Bulletin, May 30, 1948, pp. 714–715.

“Soviet Violations of Treaty Obligations”: Document Submitted by the Department of State to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. Ibid., June 6, 1948, pp. 738–744.

“Firm and Determined Course for the Democracies”: Address by the Secretary of State (Marshall) in Portland, Oregon, on May 28, 1948. Ibid., pp. 744–746.

“American Peace Policy”: Address by the President at Berkeley, California. June 12, 1948. Public Papers: Truman, 1948, pp. 336–340.

“Why and How We Came To Find Ourselves at the Havana Conference”: Address by William L. Clayton, Adviser to the Secretary of State, at Washington, D.C., on June 15, 1948. Bulletin, June 27, 1948, pp. 825–827.

Statement by the President Announcing an Agreement With the Provisional Government of Israel. June 22, 1948. Public Papers: Truman, 1948, p. 382.

Statement by the President Upon Signing the Displaced Persons Act. June 25, 1948. Ibid., pp. 382–384.

Statement by the President Upon Signing the Trade Agreements Extension Act. June 26, 1948. Ibid., p. 385.

[Page X]

Statement by the President Upon Signing the Foreign Aid Appropriation Act. June 28, 1948. Ibid., pp. 385–386.

Statement by the Secretary of State (Marshall) Concerning Signing of Economic Cooperation Agreements. June 28, 1948. Bulletin, July 11, 1948, p. 43.

Note from the Secretary of State (Marshall) to the Soviet Ambassador (Panyushkin) concerning the Soviet blockade of Berlin. July 6, 1948. Ibid., July 18, 1948, pp. 85–86.

“U.S. Information Program”: Address by George V. Allen, Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs, at South Hadley, Massachusetts, on June 29, 1948. Ibid., July 18, 1948, pp. 88–91.

Statement by the President Reviewing Two Years of Experience With the Atomic Energy Act. July 24, 1948. Public Papers: Truman, 1948, pp. 414–416.

Message of the President to the Special Session of the 80th Congress. July 27, 1948. Ibid., pp. 416–422.

“Economic Factors in U.S. Foreign Policy”: Address by Winthrop G. Brown, Director of the Office of International Trade Policy, at Laramie, Wyoming, on August 2, 1948. Bulletin, August 15, 1948, pp. 203–207.

Policy Toward the New Korean Government. Statement issued by the Department of State, August 12, 1948. Bulletin, August 22, 1948, p. 242.

“The United Nations Charter: A Standard for Conduct Among Nations”: Address by the Secretary of State (Marshall) at Washington, D.C., September 15, 1948. Ibid., September 26, 1948, pp. 400–401.

“No Compromise on Essential Freedoms”: Address by the Secretary of State (Marshall) at the Third Regular Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations, at Paris, September 23, 1948. Ibid., October 13, 1948, pp. 432–435.

“The Struggle for Human Rights”: Address by Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt, U.S. Representative to the Commission on Human Rights, at Paris, September 28, 1948. Ibid., October 10, 1948, pp. 457–460.

Freedom of Information. Statement by the Secretary of State (Marshall). October 1, 1948. Ibid., p. 473.

Statements by the President and the Secretary of State concerning the progress of the various United Nations bodies in Paris and on the situation in Europe. October 9, 1948. Ibid., October 17, 1948, pp. 483–484.

Statement by the President on Israel. October 24, 1948. Public Papers: Truman, 1948, pp. 843–844.

United Nations Day. Statement by the Secretary of State (Marshall) in Paris on October 24, 1948. Bulletin, October 31, 1948, pp. 548–549.

The Voice of America. Article by George V. Allen, Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs. Ibid., November 7, 1948, pp. 567–571.

Address of the President Before the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. November 24, 1948. Public Papers: Truman, 1948, pp. 948–950.

“General Assembly Adopts Declaration of Human Rights”: Statement by Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt, U.S. Representative to the General Assembly of the United Nations. December 9, 1948. Bulletin, December 19, 1948, pp. 751–752.

“United States Concerned at Overthrow of Governments in Certain American Republics”: Statement issued by the Department of State, December 21, 1948. Ibid., January 2, 1949, p. 30.

“The Role of the Department of State in Coordinating Foreign Aid”: Address by George C. McGhee, Coordinator for Aid to Greece and Turkey, at Chicago, Illinois, on December 29, 1948. Ibid., January 9, 1949, pp. 53–59.

[Page XI]

II. Major Appointments and Retirements in the Department of State During 1948

Willard L. Thorp, Assistant Secretary of State for Economic Affairs, was designated as Coordinator for the European Recovery Program, effective January 19, 1948.

George V. Allen entered on duty on March 31, 1948, as Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs.

The appointment of Henry R. Labouisse, Jr., as Coordinator for Foreign Aid and Assistance in the Office of the Under Secretary of State was announced on June 16, 1948.

Norman Armour resigned as Assistant Secretary of State for Poltical Affairs, effective July 15, 1948.

III. The Organization, Personnel, and Activities of the Department of State and the Foreign Service

For detailed information on the organization, personnel, and activities of the Department and the Foreign Service, see the Bulletin (issued weekly) and the following serial publications of the Department of State:

  • The Biographic Register.
  • Foreign Service List.
  • International Information and Education Exchange Program.
  • Report to the Congress on the Lend-Lease Operations, Transmitted by the President.

The names of the principal officers of the Department are also listed in the appropriate editions of the Congressional Directory and the United States Government Manual.

For information on treaties and agreements, see

  • Treaties and Other International Agreements of the United States of America, 1776–1949. By Charles I. Bevans.
  • Treaties and Other International Acts Series (TIAS), published since 1946 as a sequel to the Department of State Treaty Series and Treaties in Force.

For information on developments in international law, see

  • Digest of International Law. By Marjorie M. Whiteman.

For detailed information on these publications as well as on numerous others of a more specialized character, see Publications of the Department of State, October 1, 1929 to January 1, 1953 (Washington, D.C., 1954), and Major Publications of the Department of State: An Annotated Bibliography (Washington, D.C., 1973).

IV. Participation of the United States in International Conferences and Organizations

In addition to the extensive documentation provided in this volume and in other volumes of Foreign Relations, there is systematic coverage [Page XII] of American participation in international conferences and organizations in the Bulletin and in the following other publications of the Department of State:

  • United States Participation in the United Nations. Annual reports by the President to the Congress.
  • List of International Conferences and Meetings, With Annotations.
  • Participation of the United States Government in International Conferences, Including the Composition of U.S. Delegations and Summaries of the Proceedings.
  • International Organizations in Which the United States Participates.

For detailed information on these publications, see the guides listed in the final paragraph of section III, above.