815.3/7–1654: Telegram
The Consulate General at Geneva (Gowen) to the Department of State 1
niact
65. Your 41, July 14, and 44, 47 and 48 all July 15 carefully noted.2 Gerety Board. My visit Gerety in Paris most useful. I accepted letters of invitation which he handed me for persons involved in international organizations at Geneva and said that I would not deliver such letter until I had received specific instructions do so from Department. Gerety and his fellow-members heartily agreed to this and were most cooperative. Having received today Department’s telegram 47 mentioned above I promptly called on Pelt Director European UN Office and told him about letters of invitation which I am to deliver to certain persons in organizations under his jurisdiction here. I carefully explained nature these letters, their non-compulsory aspects etc. Pelt agreed have persons concerned call at my office to receive these letters from me this afternoon. He expressed much appreciation my having informed him of matter before I approached his subordinates or any other UN organization here. I thereafter called on Dorolle Acting Director General WHO (Director General absent on leave) and went through same procedure. Dorolle too was most appreciative and agreed have persons concerned in his organization call on me this afternoon to receive letters of invitations. I then called on Morse Director General ILO and again went through same procedure. Morse also most appreciative and agreed have persons concerned in his organization call on me this afternoon for same purpose. Am now awaiting receive all these persons. Will report developments.
For Department’s information only. Pelt very pleased I had not intended deliver letters on premises UN because in his opinion this might have given rise legalistic questions and made it necessary for him temporarily waive diplomatic immunity enjoyed by UN premises lest someone might construe these letters as being legal summons. I told him how very much I appreciated his fine cooperation and thanked him for agreeing inform persons concerned call at my office receive letters. [Page 400] Believe this point should not be publicized lest press give it undue importance and publicity. Following also for Department’s information only: Gerety telephoned me from Paris last night and again this morning saying he is under great pressure from press in Paris and feels he should tell press just what I am doing in this matter. These phone calls from him received prior my approach to Pelt, Dorolle and Morse. I told Gerety in my opinion it would be well for him consider not mentioning my name to press or otherwise saying anything that might well encourage otherwise avoidable publicity. I also told him that in case I received press inquiries about this I shall confine myself to saying no comment. Subject Department’s approval am inclined believe such action on my part justified considering that Department’s instructions to me this matter are confidential and I may not properly is close them to press or otherwise violate their confidentiality. This, of course, quite apart from very delicate nature this matter. Perhaps Department may wish consider mentioning to Gerety desirability his doing everything consistently possible avoid publicity.3
- Repeated for information to Bern.↩
- None printed; all dealt with the Gerety hearings in Europe. No. 41 (sent to Paris as 183) informed Mr. Gerety at Paris that the Department of State had approved holding the Board hearings in the French capital rather than at Geneva. This telegram also indicated approval of “proposed arrangement send ‘liaison officers’ from Geneva to Paris for purpose briefing and subsequent arrangements movements of individuals concerned from Geneva to Paris.” Telegram 44 ordered Mr. Gowen to Paris to report to Mr. Gerety, while telegram 47 informed Mr. Gowen that the Department of State believed it was entirely proper for Mr. Gowen to transmit letters of notification to concerned individuals regarding the Gerety Board hearings without informing the Swiss Government. Telegram 48 simply authorized the Consulate General at Geneva to issue travel orders for the individuals travelling to Paris to appear before the Gerety Board. All the above telegrams are in file 315.3.↩
- The source text indicates that Mr. Collin’s office (WE) was notified July 16, 1954, at 5:44 p.m.↩