Under Secretary’s Meetings, Lot 53 D 250
Memorandum by the Director of the Executive Secretariat ( Humelsine ) to the Under Secretary of State ( Webb )
Mr. Webb: Points Emphasized in the Under Secretary’s Meeting, June 3.1
1. Formation of a Free Trade Union International (UM D–442)
[Page 835]The following points were made in this morning’s discussion in the Under Secretary’s Meeting of this paper:
Administrative
The Department should be organized to (a) bring the handling of labor problems closer to the Department’s top policy level, and (b) provide for regular consultations with American labor on foreign affairs questions including matters not immediately related to labor. (In this connection it was noted that a U.S. change of policy on Spain might injure labor’s support for ERP.) It was agreed that any high level labor specialist in the Department need not necessarily have a professional labor background but he should of course be favorably regarded by labor representatives.
Informational Support
There was feeling that it is tactically better to emphasize straight news reporting on the International in our media rather than risk hurting the movement by developing too soon an informational line which might suggest Departmental sponsorship.
Status in the UN
There were some differences of opinion on the merits of “Category A” consultative status in the UN and specialized agencies for the new International. Objection in principle was raised to giving private groups an extra voice in UN in addition to their government representation, and it was pointed out that the Russians have encouraged these special status groups as a means of circumventing government representatives for their own purposes. On the other hand, it was submitted that certain benefits accompany close UN participation by private agencies. It was agreed that the facts on such groups should be assembled prior to the obtaining of a Departmental position on this point under the leadership of E and UNA.
Participation of Exiled Eastern European Labor Leaders in Voice of America Broadcasts
Mr. Allen explained that generally it is the Department’s position that the use of political refugees in these broadcasts is undesirable since rival democratic factions of the same nationality may take offense. However, the American Federation of Labor favors such use of labor refugees and the British use them in this manner. We are especially interested in overcoming any impressions that in the Voice of America we are not interested in labor. It was agreed that Mr. Allen will begin such broadcasts cautiously.
[The remainder of this memorandum was devoted to a review of the discussion of U.S. rubber policy.]
- Regarding the
establishment, responsibilities, and composition of the Under
Secretary’s Meeting, see the minutes of the Under Secretary’s
Meeting of February 14, p. 863.
The following officers attended this meeting: Deputy Under Secretary of State Dean Rusk (Chairman); George V. Allen, Assistant. Secretary of State for Public Affairs; Director of the Office of Far Eastern Affairs W. Walton Butterworth; Director of the Office of European Affairs John D. Hickerson; Director Of the Policy Planning Staff George F. Kennan; Deputy Director of the Policy Planning Staff George H. Butler; Director of the Office of German and Austrian Affairs Robert D. Murphy; Acting Deputy Director of the Office of German and Austrian Affairs Henry C. Byroade; Director of the Office of Near Eastern and African Affairs Joseph C. Satterthwaite; Director of Foreign Aid and Assistance Henry R. Labouisse, Jr.
↩ - Same as the memorandum of May 24 from Brown to Webb, p. 831.↩