Lot 60–D 224, Box 55: D.O./P.R./19
Memorandum by the Under Secretary of State (Stettinius) to the Secretary of State
Subject: Progress Report on Dumbarton Oaks Conversations—Twentieth Day
Meeting of the Joint Steering Committee
We met this morning on my call. Some progress was made with respect to reaching agreement on various provisions. Ambassador Gromyko, however, raised one unexpected and disturbing point which is described in the immediately following paragraph.
[Page 795](a) Soviet Refusal to Sign Joint Agreement with the Chinese
At the outset of our meeting this morning I said that I felt that it would be necessary to make some further joint statement within a few days. I said also that the delay in reaching agreement is placing us in a very embarrassing position vis-à-vis the Chinese. At this point Ambassador Gromyko said that he had conveyed to his Government the suggestion which we had made late Saturday night for a fourpower communication to the other United Nations of the agreed recommendations. He said that the suggestion is not acceptable to his Government which prefers a three-power declaration.
Sir Alexander Cadogan and I stated forcefully that this represented a change in the entire basis upon which we had been working. We both said we were authorized only to participate in joint fourpower recommendations.
The only hopeful aspect of the matter was that the Soviet representatives said that they were referring to the joint recommendations and not to the question of the United Nations conference. It may be that the Soviet representatives will not object to simultaneous publication in the four capitals of identic memoranda of recommendations which would form the basis for the United Nations conference.
(b) Soviet Acceptance of our Nomenclature
Ambassador Gromyko accepted the term “the United Nations” as the name of the organization. In addition he accepted with but slight reservation all our other proposals with respect to the titles of the organs and officials of the organization.
(c) Sites for Bases
Ambassador Gromyko withdrew the Soviet proposal that states having insufficient armed forces should make available territory for the establishment of bases.
(d) International Air Force
Ambassador Gromyko also withdrew the Soviet proposal for a provision establishing an international air corps. In so doing he said that the Soviet purpose in making this proposal had merely been to ensure the effectiveness of the organization. He said that the Soviet Government had no greater interest in this matter than did the other two Governments and that in view of the attitude of the other two Governments toward the proposal he was now withdrawing it.
(e) Responsibility of Military Staff Committee
Ambassador Gromyko also withdrew the Soviet opposition to our proposal that the military staff committee should be responsible under the council for the strategic direction of armed forces placed at the disposal of the council.
[Page 796]Meeting of the Joint Formulation Group
The joint formulation group met this afternoon at 3:00 to try to formulate satisfactory provisions relating to regional organizations and to the problem of interim arrangements in the field of security pending the effective operation of the organization.