501.BE/8–2449: Telegram
The Acting United States Representative at the United Nations (Ross) to the Secretary of State
978. For Hickerson from Gerig. At informal meeting of administering members Special Committee called today by Fletcher-Cooke, UK, and attended by Australian, Belgian, Dutch, French and New Zealand members, main discussion concerned question of continuation Special Committee.1 While all agreed oppose permanent establishment committee on grounds utility not proved, all others disagreed with idea that three-year further trial period constitutes more practical alternative than one-year extension without prejudice. British, French and Belgian members say their governments are prepared withdraw altogether if committee extended beyond one more year. Believe therefore Department should consider giving USDel discretion not put forward three-year proposal if no other administering member such as New Zealand or Australia will support. As position paper this subject is transmitted for guidance, will act on this assumption unless instructed to contrary and will vote in first instance for one year extension only.
- John D. Hickerson, Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs, and O. Benjamin Gerig, U.S. Representative on the UN General Assembly’s Special Committee on Information, transmitted under Article 73(e) of the UN Charter. This committee was created by the General Assembly in November 1947 for one year and was to review information on economic, social, and educational conditions in Non-Self-Governing Territories, transmitted under Article 73(e) and was to report thereon to the General Assembly. The committee was composed of the eight “administering” members (those members the governments of which had entered into trusteeship agreements with the United Nations) and eight “non-administering” members and met for the first time in September 1948 at Geneva. In November 1948 the General Assembly, after considerable discussion in the Fourth Committee and in the Assembly, reconstituted the committee for one more year under slightly modified terms of reference; it was convening at New York for the first time on August 25.↩