Editorial Note
The Secretary of State made public statements on August 26 and September 3, 1953, regarding the question of United Nations Charter review.
The August 26 statement was made in an address to the American Bar Association at Boston, Massachusetts, entitled “U.S. Constitution and U.N. Charter: An Appraisal”. Dulles purported to demonstrate that the Charter reflected “serious inadequacies”: it was a pre-atomicage document, the Security Council veto, and the absence of an international rule of law. In connection with the latter point, Dulles cited the views of the late Senator Taft (see footnote 1, page 175, and Department of State Bulletin, September 7, 1953, pages 307–310).
The Dulles statement of September 3 consisted of a press conference statement made in elucidation of the Boston address. At this time, the Secretary of State said that the speech at Boston had been made “primarily to stimulate thinking by such bodies as the American Bar Association on this whole topic.” Dulles reiterated his belief that the project review conference could be a conference “of very great importance”.Dulles added: “I believe there are a number of respects in which the charter can be improved, but at the moment I am not prepared to take an official position indicating what the final view of the United States Government will be. We believe that this is a subject which ought to be studied well in advance, and that the study should not merely be Governmental….” Dulles voiced the hope that preparation for the conference would be “throughout the world”, by private organizations as well as governments. He noted finally that the Netherlands Government “quite independently of any suggestion from us and before my Boston speech, put an agenda item on this subject for discussion at the session of the General Assembly which will be convened on September 15.” (Department Press Release 474, dated September 3; see Department of State Bulletin, September 14, 1953, page 343.)