Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1945, General: Political and Economic Matters, Volume II

840.50 UNRRA/8–245: Telegram

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

London, August 2, 1945—7 p.m.
[Received August 2—5:05 p.m.]

7798. For Moffat from Gilpatric.²⁸

• Topic 1. Draft compromise resolutions²⁹ discussed with Butler³⁰ and Strang³¹ Aug 1. Penrose³² participated. Neither acceptable to British who argued that action was urgent Korea and Formosa but that Thailand question could not come before Council without serious political consequences for them.
• Topic 2. Third draft was discussed, to meet both points of view and would include first whereas clause of first draft and first two whereas clauses of second draft followed by:

  “Be it resolved:

  1. That CCFE³³ recommends to the Council adoption of the following resolution:

  Resolved: In accordance with the provisions of part one of resolution one the Administration is hereby authorized to operate in Korea and Formosa upon the terms and conditions applicable to liberated areas.

  2. That the committee invites the Director General to study the question of what relief operations may be required in Thailand, should it be decided at a later date that the Administration should extend its operations to that country, to prepare tentative plans for such operations, including their probable cost, and to report back to the next meeting of the CCFE.”

• Topic 3. Alternative wording for resolution might be:

  “Resolved: In accordance with provisions of part one of resolution one the Administration is hereby authorized to operate in Korea and Formosa upon the terms and conditions applicable to liberated areas. The Council also invites the Director General, prior to a determination of what relief operations may be undertaken in Thailand, to ascertain whether deterioration of food, clothing, housing and health conditions has occurred below the minimum which the Administration feels to be necessary, to prepare tentative plans for relief operations which would be essential to restore such standards, including estimates of probable cost, and to report on these matters to the Central Committee or to the Council at its next meeting.”

• This latter text has not been submitted to the British but believe it is best possible compromise of views that could be reached.
• Topic 4. Dooman³⁴ and Vincent³⁵ feel wording topic 2 above goes too far but that topic 3 above represents reasonable and satisfactory concession to the British viewpoint. We concur. CCFE meeting adjourned, after consideration of item 5, until Monday.³⁶ Please cable reply Niact³⁷ to arrive Saturday,³⁸ while Vincent and Dooman still here. [Gilpatric.]

Winant

28. Chief of the War Areas Economic Division; also adviser and executive secretary to the United States delegation at the Third UNRRA Council meeting.
29. Not printed.
30. Sir Paul Butler, adviser in the British Foreign Office and United Kingdom Representative on the Committee of the Council for the Far East.
31. Sir William Strang, political adviser to the Commander in Chief, British Forces of Occupation in Germany.
32. Ernest Francis Penrose, special assistant to the American Ambassador in the United Kingdom; also adviser to the United States delegation at the Third UNRRA Council meeting.
33. Committee of the Council for the Far East.
34. Eugene H. Dooman, Special Assistant to the Director of the Office of Far Eastern Affairs.
35. John Carter Vincent, Chief of the Division of Chinese Affairs.
36. August 6.
37. Night Action Telegram.
38. August 4. In its telegram 0486, August 3, 1945, 1 p.m., to London, the Department indicated its concurrence with the views expressed in topic 4 and approved the wording of the alternate resolution in topic 3 (840.50 UNRR A/8–345).