Hickerson–Murphy–Key files, lot 58 D 33, “Letters”
The United States Representative at the United Nations (Lodge) to the Under Secretary of State for Administration (Lourie)1
Dear Don: Herewith is a report of what we have accomplished so far as regards the matter of American personnel in the United Nations.
When I presented my credentials on January 26th I told the Secretary General the personnel situation was one of the prime causes of American lack of confidence in the United Nations, that it deserved the highest priority.
On the following day I called again with two thousand forms to be filled out by the American employees, and the day thereafter the employees were being lined up in the corridors and being fingerprinted. Attached is a tabulation showing what has been accomplished to date.2
I also issued an order to all employees of the United States Mission on this subject, a copy of which is attached.2
I have informed the Chairman of the Senate Internal [Security] Subcommittee, the Senate Judiciary Committee, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the Senate Permanent Investigating Subcommittee, the House Foreign Affairs Committee, the House Committee on State Department Appropriations, and the House Un-American Activities Committee, and the reaction has been extremely favorable.
I attach samples of the fingerprint form,2 the principal form and the instructions.
The General Assembly on April 1 approved the resolution, copy attached,3 which we co-sponsored with twelve other delegations on this question by a vote of 41 in favor, 13 against and 4 abstentions. The resolution gives the Secretary General sufficient authority to deal with this problem between now and the fall session of the General Assembly. We defeated a proposal of the Arab-Asian group which would have stopped any further dismissals under Mr. Lie’s policy by a vote of 21 in favor, 29 against and eight abstentions.
I intend to discuss this question with Mr. Dag Hammerskjold, the Secretary General elect, at the earliest opportunity to insure his full understanding of the problem and support for the procedure we have underway.
Sincerely yours,
Ambassador