Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1943, General, Volume I

840.50/2439a

The Secretary of State to Certain Diplomatic Representatives ⁹⁷

Washington, August 23, 1943.

Sirs: With further reference to the draft, of May 15, 1943, of an agreement for a United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration and the Department’s circular instruction of July 13, 1943 relating thereto, there is enclosed for your information a copy of a memorandum of proposed changes in the draft agreement.⁹⁸ This Government is not yet in a position to place these proposals before the other governments which have been considering the draft agreement but it may be able to do so shortly. The texts of the proposed changes are being communicated to you at the present time so that they will be in your hands when the Department can give you definite instructions regarding the way in which a revised draft of the agreement is to be placed before the other Governments. It is expected that those instructions will be telegraphed to you since it is desired to expedite the final decision on this matter as much as possible. Those instructions would include any necessary revision in the texts being transmitted to you herewith.

In spite of the excellent cooperation of the American Missions in the capitals listed above,⁹⁹ it has proved impossible to bring the negotiations to the point where a conference could be called during September. It is now the hope that it will be possible to arrange for signature of the agreement and the launching of the proposed Administration through the first meeting of its Council by the end of October. It is the intention of this Government, however, to give the other Governments concerned at least six weeks advance notice of the possible time of such a meeting. If officials of the Government to which you are accredited are concerned regarding the possible timing of such a meeting you may indicate informally the possibility set forth above.

At the time this Government proposes definite action with respect to signature of the draft agreement and establishment of the projected Administration, an effort will be made to give other Governments the benefit of this Government’s conception of the desirable scope or nature of the meeting and some indication as to the composition of the delegation which this Government will send to the meeting.

There is enclosed also for your information a list of the favorable responses which other Governments have made¹ to date to this Government’s initiative in placing the draft agreement before them.

Very truly yours,

For the Secretary of State:

Breckinridge Long

97. Sent to chiefs of mission accredited to Governments comprising the United Nations (except China, the United Kingdom, and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) and to the Governments associated with them in the war.
98. Supra.
99. See footnote 97, above.
1. List not attached to file copy. On August 19, Assistant Secretary of State Acheson stated that all responses received by the United States Government with respect to the draft agreement had been favorable with the exception of notes from four Governments which were somewhat critical and which suggested certain changes in the agreement, and certain inquiries which had been received orally; also that in addition to the eighteen Governments which had already made some favorable formal response, a number of other Governments had indicated informally that a favorable response had been drafted or would be presented shortly. (840.50/3288a)