Foreign Relations of the United States, 1948, The Near East, South Asia, and Africa, Volume V, Part 1

124.48A/11–2448

Memorandum by the Acting Secretary of State to President Truman

Washington, November 23, 1948.

The Legation of the Union of South Africa has informed the Department¹ that the Union Government proposes that the United States Legation at Pretoria and the Legation of the Union of South Africa at Washington be elevated to the status of Embassies if this proposal meets with the approval of the United States Government.

Since we maintain Embassies in the other two of the Southern Dominions, Australia and New Zealand, and considering the friendly relations existing between the United States and the Union of South Africa, I believe it would be appropriate to raise the missions at Pretoria and Washington to Embassy status; If you concur, I will inform the Legation of the Union of South Africa of the United States approval to the Union Government’s proposal.²

Robert A. Lovett

1. In a note of November 13, not printed.
2. Approved in a marginal notation by President Truman on November 24. On March 1, 1049, the Senate confirmed the nomination of North Winship as the first American Ambassador to the Union of South Africa. H. T. Andrews, the first Ambassador of the Union of South Africa to the United States, presented his credentials to President Truman two days later (Department of State Bulletin, March 13, 1949, pp. 332 and 328).