FOREIGN RELATIONS, 1946, VOLUME I



yet ready to accept the simplified procedure which we suggested. It
did, however, appear that their first objective was to be classified in
relation to all trust territories as a "state directly concerned"
and that
to get this they might make some concessions.48

FW 501.BB/10-3146
Memorandum of Telephone Conversation, by the Director of the Offiee
                of Special Political Affairs (Hiss)
                                [WASHINGTON,] November 1, 1946.
          Participants: Mr. John Foster Dulles-Gadel
                         Mr. John C. Ross-Gadel
                         Mr. Alger Hiss
  After the morning meeting in Mr. Acheson's office I called Mr.
Dulles and Mr. Gerig and told them of the decisions which had been
reached as a result of consideration of New York's telegram 741 of
October 31, 9 p. M.49 I explained that it was the Department's position
that in the event our proposal is not accepted that claims to be states
directly concerned in trusteeship agreements be waived by all other
interested member states for the purposes of the present Assembly, we
should take the position that the Assembly should refuse to designate
any except the respective mandatories as being states directly con-
cerned. I added that this meant we would vote against any proposal for
a general formula which included additional states directly concerned
and against any motions recognizing individual states as directly con-
cerned. I explained that the Department felt that this was a justifiable
interpretation of the ambiguous language of the Charter and I pointed
out that neither at San Francisco nor at London had it been possible
to arrive at an agreement of what states should be Tegarded as directly
concerned or upon any principles for determining this question. I
pointed out that it can be argued that under Article 77 (1) (c) a sov-
ereign voluntarily agreeing to place some of its territory under trustee-
ship would presumably be the only state directly concerned. If the
general language of the Charter can mean this in such a case it can
mean it also also in the case of mandates. I said that the Department
felt that if a number of states, including the Soviet Union, were to be
recognized as states directly concerned there was every likelihood that
no agreements would be approved certainly at this Assembly and that
the trusteeship system would be further indefinitely delayed. I added
that the Department felt that there would probably be widespread

" The substance of this memorandum was summarized and sent to the Depart-
ment in telegram 741, October 31, 9 p. m., not printed.
" See footnote 48, above.



668