Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1945, General: The United Nations, Volume I

800.42/6–1245: Telegram

The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant)

Washington, June 12, 1945—7 p.m.

4723. Urtel 5626.¹⁰ Unfortunate Conference can not immediately publish draft constitution. May be necessary to publish American draft here without amendments proposed by Executive Bureau of Conference. It is hoped that date of Conference Plenary Session can be advanced from July 11, 1945 to earliest possible date.

Dept suggests that you, in your judgment, informally express view of the US Govt that it would be glad to have the Govt of UK call the international conference to establish an international organization for education and cultural cooperation. This would ensure the logical evolution of the long and thoughtful work of the Conference of Allied Ministers of Education, in which this Govt has actively collaborated. Specifically, it would ensure that the draft constitution as developed by the Conference of Allied Ministers of Education would become the basic working proposals in the international conference to establish an international organization for education and cultural cooperation.

Events in San Francisco have made it clear that all govts represented there want an organization formed in this field as soon as possible. Both Houses of the American Congress have so expressed themselves in identical resolutions unanimously adopted.¹¹ At San Francisco, the French Delegation, particularly interested in the Paris Institute for Intellectual Cooperation, announced “France will probably take the initiative in calling this Conference in agreement with the interested govts and especially with the Brit Govt since it was in London, at the beginning of this war, that the ministers of National education of a certain number of Allied countries held their first conference”.

This Govt does not object in principle to a conference called by France. But before France, or any other govt, should issue such a call, it is considered vitally important that it accept as a kind of Dumbarton Oaks plan for the conference the present draft of a proposed constitution developed by the Conference of Allied Ministers of Education. If the UK would promptly call the conference this would be assured.

Grew

10. June 4, 6 p.m., not printed.
11. House Resolution 215 urging the “creation of an international educational and cultural organization.” For text and amendments agreed to on May 22, 1945, see Congressional Record, vol. 91, pt. 4, p. 4899. For agreement to Senate Resolution 122 and title amendment, May 24, 1945, see ibid., p. 4966.