315.3/6–153

The United States Representative at the United Nations (Lodge) to the Under Secretary of State for Administration (Lourie)

Dear Don: I have sent the Attorney General a copy of the attached paper stating the agreements we reached Friday with the request that he notify me of any points on which it does not represent his understanding.

I would appreciate your doing the same. If I do not hear from you within the week, I shall assume that I am free to proceed with my oral discussions with Mr. Hammarskjold using this paper and, of course, the earlier position paper from the Department as the basis for these discussions.

May I again thank you, Mr. Phleger and Mr. McLeod for your understanding of the problems facing us here and for your assistance in achieving a satisfactory solution.

I am particularly pleased that you will give future cases your personal attention. As you know I am only concerned that we should be certain that decisions are promptly taken and soundly based.

I am certain that our agreement on Friday will aid me in doing a more effective job of representing the interests of the United States at the United Nations and will help to fulfill the obligations which this country assumed under the unanimous invitation to the United Nations issued by both houses of the Congress in 1947.1

Sincerely yours,

Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr.
[Attachment]

Points Agreed upon with Respect to the Implementation of the Headquarters Agreement and Section 6 Reservation in a Meeting held in the Attorney General’s Office, May 29, 1953.

1.
It is highly desirable for you to agree with Mr. Hammarskjold on a practical working solution of the question of access by aliens to [Page 291] the United Nations headquarters, rather than to dispute with the Secretary-General, and the Organization at large, legal positions of each side concerning the effect and scope of the Section 6 reservation.
2.
In cases where an alien covered by Section 11 of the Headquarters Agreement applies for a visa and the consular officer considers that the alien is or may be excludable under subsections 212(a) (27), (28) and (29) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, the consular officer will refer the matter to the Department of State. It shall promptly notify the Attorney General and the Ambassador at the United Nations of the cases.
3.
Within the Department, the consul’s conclusion will be reviewed as to whether the applicant alien falls within any of the three subsections referred to above, and, if so, which one. If the Department concludes that the applicant alien falls within subsection 212(a) (28) only, the Department will consider recommending to the Attorney General that he exercise his discretion to admit the alien. The consular officer will be informed of the conclusions reached in Washington by the Departments of State and Justice. No visa will be refused in a case under Section 11 of the Headquarters Agreement without the case having been referred to the Secretary or Acting Secretary for review.
4.
When it is determined that a visa must be refused on security grounds (for example, because the Department of State or the Department of Justice considers that the applicant alien is covered by subsection (a) (27) or (29) of the Immigration and Nationality Act), the Department will communicate to you the reasons for this action. You would then be authorized in your discretion to discuss the alien’s case with the Secretary-General, making known to him the substance of the information on which this Government based its decision to deny a visa. The information so given to the Secretary-General would need to be limited in such a way as not to disclose the source of the information. The Department would send its communication to you as soon as possible after the decision to deny a visa, and in any event before the visa is denied by the consular officer. As stated in your memorandum of May 19, you would not discuss with the Secretary-General the cases of governmental representatives, but of other aliens covered by Section 11 of the Headquarters Agreement. In a few cases it may be impossible to disclose any information to the Secretary-General but in these cases the United States Ambassador at the United Nations shall be fully informed so that he can personally assure the Secretary-General that clear and convincing information supporting the determination exists.
5.
In the event of an alien receiving a visa and subsequently being denied admission at the port of entry in the United States, or being subjected to unanticipated conditions of admission, the Department of [Page 292] Justice would make available to you promptly the reasons for such action, which you would then be authorized in your discretion to make known to the Secretary-General in substance, without compromising sources of information.
6.
In the present policy of restriction of certain individuals a specific area in the vicinity of the headquarters will be extended to cover other individuals following under Section 11 who would otherwise be inadmissable. The standard area for application of restrictions will be bounded as follows: Beginning at the southwesterly intersection of 97th Street and Franklin Delano Roosevelt Drive, thence running southerly along the west curb of Franklin Delano Roosevelt Drive to the northwesterly intersection of Franklin Delano Roosevelt Drive and 48th Street, thence running easterly to the East River, thence running southerly along the west bank of the East River to a point directly east of the southwesterly intersection of Franklin Delano Roosevelt Drive and 42nd Street, thence westerly to the southwesterly intersection of Franklin Delano Roosevelt Drive and 42nd Street, thence running southerly along the west curb of Franklin Roosevelt Drive to the northwesterly intersection of Franklin Roosevelt Drive and 26th Street, thence westerly along the north curb of 26th Street to the northwesterly intersection of 26th Street and 1st Avenue, thence northerly along the west curb of 1st Avenue to the northwesterly intersection of 1st Avenue and 28th Street, thence westerly along the north curb of 28th Street to the northeasterly intersection of 28th Street and 9th Avenue, thence running northerly along the east curb of 9th Avenue to the southeasterly intersection of 49th Street and 9th Avenue, thence easterly along the south curb of 49th Street to the southeasterly intersection of 49th Street and 8th Avenue, thence northerly along the cast curb of 8th Avenue and Central Park West to the southeasterly intersection of Central Park West and Transverse Road No. 4 which crosses Central Park, thence easterly along the south curb of Transverse Road No. 4 and 97th Street to the point and place of beginning. The limitation of the movement of individuals who are restricted to this standard area shall not be deemed to prevent these individuals from having access by the most direct route from this area to offices of the Immigration and Naturalization Service at 70 Columbus Avenue.

No formal agreement for this purpose will be negotiated. However, the Secretary-General will be informed of this standard area and necessary steps will be taken to make the information available to the general public. In a limited number of cases, in each of which specific notice will be given to the Secretary-General, it may be necessary to circumscribe further the standard area. These decisions will be taken on specific grounds and where possible the Secretary-General will be informed in advance.

  1. Uninitialed notation at head of the letter: “D[onold] B. L[ourie] said no reply necessary. Matter handled in meeting with Amb. Lodge.”