Memorandum by the Acting Director of the Office of United Nations Affairs (Sandifer) to the Director of the Office of Controls (Boykin)
Subject: Procedure for Instructing United States Representatives to the United Nations
The memorandum of June 9th from Mr. Power of USUN, copy of which was addressed to you as well as to this and other offices, regarding procedure for prior clearance of NGO representatives and New York telegram No. 706, dated June 10, 1949, both with reference to the memorandum of May 24, 1949, from VD to USUN,2 indicate that there must be some lack of understanding of the established procedure for communication with the U.S. Mission in New York [Page 11] and for instruction of our Representatives to the United Nations. The use of memoranda and informal letters for communication by various parts of the Department with the Mission in New York is appropriate when the communication is on matters of information only, but when it provides instructions to our Representatives, it is essential that such instructions be cleared with all interested offices, including UNA, in accordance with the established practice in the Department and be transmitted as formal instructions to the Mission by letter or telegram.
I am sure that you are aware of the importance of clearing all instructions to the Mission in New York through this Office. The material contained in the memorandum to which reference is made obviously includes a statement of position which would require the issuance of an instruction to the Mission in New York and would require clearance in the Department. Until thus cleared and formally transmitted it has no effect as an instruction to the Mission.