ODA files, lot 62 D 225, “Trust Territory of Pacific Islands”
Memorandum of Conversation, by Robert R. Robbins, of the United States Delegation to the Trusteeship Council 1
- Subject:
- Marshall Islanders’ Petition
- Participants:
- Sir Alan Burns–United Kingdom Delegation
- Mr. B. O. B. Gidden–United Kingdom Delegation
- Mr. Robert Robbins–USUN/UND
- Mr. Curtis C. Strong–USUN/UND
Before the opening of the Trusteeship Council today, Sir Alan Burns and Mr. Gidden approached us to inquire how the United States Delegation planned to handle the petition from the Marshall Islanders. In particular, they wanted to know if and at what time we would submit written observations on this petition. They also inquired as to whether we expected to handle the petition in any special way. They went on to say that the reason for this inquiry was due to the fact that they would be required to obtain instructions from London and they would need to transmit our written observations to London in this connection.
They were assured that we expected to submit written observations on the petition and that these were now under preparation in Washington. We went on to say that the observations would be similar to the statement already made by Ambassador Lodge, and that we expected that, in addition to the United States’ written observations, the Special [Page 1491] Representative would be prepared to present further data.2 We also stated that we expected the petition would be handled in the usual way, (i.e. through the Petitions Committee). Sir Alan and Mr. Gidden were glad to have assurances from us that there would be a sufficient interval between the receipt of the United States written observations and the consideration of the petition to enable them to send it to London and receive instructions on it.
- Messrs. Robbins and Strong were advisers to the U.S. Representative on the Trusteeship Council, Mason Sears.↩
- The High Commissioner of the Trust Territory, Frank E. Midkiff, was to appear before the Trusteeship Council as an U.S. Special Representative in connection with the presentation by the United States of its annual report on the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands to the Trusteeship Council.↩