500.CC/3–2845
The Department of State to the British Embassy 42
Memorandum
It is recommended that at the San Francisco Conference the four inviting powers should retain their character as sponsoring governments in the presentation of suggestions and recommendations which they may individually or severally have to bring before the Conference. This will make for a more orderly procedure and avoid the appearance of lack of support by the sponsoring governments of the agreements already reached.
Such a procedure would be in keeping with the spirit which has enabled the principal United Nations to act in agreement on the many basic and fundamental questions represented by the Dumbarton Oaks Proposals.
In order to implement this procedure it is proposed that the four sponsoring governments should agree among themselves that any substantial changes which any of them may have to suggest to the Conference should only be brought forward after consultation among the four governments.
This should not be construed, however, in a restrictive sense. Each government should be free, in the course of commission or committee discussions, to make recommendations and suggestions designed to improve the charter so long as they are within the framework of the Dumbarton Oaks Proposals. Moreover, each government would obviously have the right, in the course of such discussions, to comment without prior consultation on proposals or suggestions which may be advanced by other participating governments.
- Copies transmitted on the same date to the Soviet and the Chinese Embassies.↩