IO Files: US/A/M(Chr)/75

Minutes of the Thirty-Third Meeting of the United States Delegation, New York, November 5, 1947, 9:15 a.m.

secret

[Here follow the list of persons (34) present and a discussion of three agenda items.]

Interim Committee

Mr. Dulles referred to the report of the sub-committee on the Interim Committee. He said that Mr. Wainhouse had very ably and patiently carried this committee work through. He thought that the sub-committee had produced the best intellectual piece of work that he had seen in the United Nations meetings including those at San Francisco. This was partly due to the fact that the Soviets were not participating. The report was satisfactory to the United States except for the provision that a two-thirds vote was needed for the interim committee to add a matter to its agenda. He thought that the controversy was likely to evolve around that issue. The United States, had taken the position that we would accept the two-thirds provision in the interest of getting the committee report adopted. If a bloc were used to create a veto, the majority could so report at the next Assembly asking for a change in procedure. Some of the members were likely to precipitate a fight. There was risk that if the fight were too bitter a two-thirds vote would not be found for the Interim Committee. He said that Messrs. Evatt and Arce were making plans for a fight in their usual prima donna way. He said that he was going to tell Mr. Evatt that if we support the committee report we would be glad to let him make the opening speech on it although logically Mr. Dulles said he himself should do so.

[Here follows discussion of other subjects.]