Foreign Relations of the United States, 1948, Western Europe, Volume III

840.00/5–748

Draft Senate Resolution on the United Nations¹

top secret

[Washington, undated.]

Whereas, Peace with justice and the defense of human rights and fundamental freedom require international cooperation through more effective use of the United Nations:

Therefore, be it Resolved that the Senate re-affirm the policy of the United States to achieve international peace and security through the United Nations, and that the President be advised of the sense of the Senate that this Government should particularly pursue the following objectives within the United Nations Charter:

(1) Voluntary agreement to remove the veto from all questions involving pacific settlements of international disputes and situations, and from the admission of new members.

(2) Progressive development of regional and other collective arrangements for individual and collective self-defense in accordance with the purposes, principles and provisions of the Charter.

(3) Association of the United States with such regional and other collective arrangements, based on self-help and mutual aid, as affect its national security.

(4) Contributing to the maintenance of peace by making clear its determination to exercise the right of individual or collective self-defense under Article 51 should any armed attack occur affecting its national security.

(5) Maximum efforts to provide the United Nations with armed forces as contemplated by the Charter, and to obtain agreement among member Nations upon universal regulation and reduction of armaments under adequate and dependable guarantees against violation.

(6) If necessary, after adequate effort toward strengthening the United Nations, review of the Charter at an appropriate time by a General Conference called under Article 109, or by the General Assembly.

1. This draft, according to a handwritten notation on the file copy, was submitted to President Truman by Marshall and approved by the President on May 7 (840.00/5–748). It was circulated in the National Security Council as an annex to NSC 9/2 of May 11. However, Kennan was troubled by the wording of this draft, especially paragraph 5, and he so informed Marshall and Lovett in a memorandum addressed to them on May 7, vol. i, p. 339. The draft was subsequently altered slightly to the form in which it was reported by Vandenberg in the Senate on May 19, 1948 and adopted on June 11 as Senate Resolution 239. 80th Congress (text printed herein, p. 135).

   Earlier drafts of this resolution by the State Department Office of United Nations Affairs, together with memoranda covering significant steps in the drafting process, are in Department of State file 840.20.