Mr. KEE. The same thing obtains in section (d), page 3: may also appoint from time to time such other persons as he may deem necessary to represent the United States in the organizations and agencies of the United Nations at such salaries. Mr. WADSWORTH. That is discretionary. Chairman BLOOM. Any further suggestions or amendments? Chairman BLOOM. Yes, Mr. Morgan. Mr. MORGAN. Just a verbal change: On page 3, line 14, I think it would read more smoothly if "such," the third word in the line, were changed to "the." Chairman BLOOM. If there is no objection, the word "such" will be changed to "the." Without objection, it is so ordered. PASSAGE OF S. 1580, AS AMENDED Mr. JOHNSON. If there is no further suggestion, Mr. Chairman, I move that the Senate bill, S. 1580, as amended, be favorably reported, and that the Chair be instructed to use all means to expedite consid eration. Mr. EATON. Seconded. [Thereupon, the motion was put to a vote and unanimously car ried.] Mr. WADSWORTH. The report-has it been drafted? Chairman BLOOM. It will be ready about 11 o'clock. The Chair would like to suggest that you use the Senate report and then make whatever changes are necessary according to the amendments made here. Mr. WADSWORTH, You should call attention to the amendments. Use the Senate report and call attention to our amendments. Chairman BLOOM. Yes, Senator, use the same report and call attention to the amendments that the committee made. Is that satisfactory? Mr. WADSWORTH. Yes. [Discussion off the record, after which the committee discussed several matters not related to S. 1580.] [Whereupon the hearing was adjourned.] International Organizations Procurement Act of 1947 COMMENTARY As the postwar United Nations was beginning to establish its headquarters in the United States in 1946,1 the United States made available to it, through the Second Deficiency Appropriations Act of 1946, the Government's vast buying power for acquiring at low cost the large volume of supplies and equipment necessary for the regular operation of the world organization. Similar arrangements were common between other international organizations and their respective host countries. In line with this general practice, the legislation which extended this procurement practice for the United Nations, the International Organizations Procurement Act of 1947, was drafted broadly to permit certain other public international organizations to enjoy the same privilege. The following hearing of Subcommittee No. 6 of the Committee on Foreign Affairs reflects the mixture of international courtesy and practical considerations which underlay the legislation. As the single largest contributor to the U.N. budget, the U.S. Government and its taxpayers would benefit substantially, in proportion to its contribution, for any savings accomplished through the procurement assistance. The subcommittee was clearly concerned with setting reasonable limits to the practice, 1 See commentary preceding the hearing on the United Nations Headquarters Agreement, S.J. Res. 144, 80th Cong., 1st sess., and Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations, S.J. Res. 136, 80th Cong., 1st sess., pp. 243-246. 71-567-76- -15 (213) yet appreciated the benefit to the U.S. economy that the U.N. expenditures among American suppliers might help to foster. The bill, as amended by the subcommittee, was reported favorably by the full committee and quickly passed by both Houses and approved by the President to become Public Law 354, 80th Congress, on August 4, 1947. The subcommittee met at 10 a.m., Hon. Lawrence H. Smith (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding. [The subcommittee had been in session for 15 minutes before the arrival of the reporter, after which the following occurred.] Mr. MARSHALL [Charles Burton Marshall, committee staff consultant]. Now, to go back to the headquarters agreement and the immunities agreement: With respect to the headquarters agreement, we got part way through a hearing on that last Thursday. Mr. Lodge asked a number of very substantial questions on which the State Department has worked up memoranda to give the subcommittee full replies. I have the drafts of the memoranda in my briefcase. They are very lengthy and very well worked out. They will assist the subcommittee in having a very complete record of what it has gone into in these hearings. FOR PROMPT CONSIDERATION The immunities agreement I have worked out in a very lengthy staff study which about parallels the questions that came up before the Senate committee, and the Senate committee intends, as I said, to report that out Tuesday. That means we are in a position in this subcommit 1 Members of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, 80th Congress, 1947-48: Republicans: Charles A. Eaton, New Jersey, Chairman; Robert B. Chiperfield, Illinois; John M. Vorys, Ohio; Karl E. Mundt, South Dakota; Bartel J. Jonkman, Michigan'; Frances P. Bolton, Ohio; Lawrence H. Smith, Wisconsin; Chester E. Merrow, New Hampshire; Walter H. Judd, Minnesota; James G. Fulton, Pennsylvania; Jacob K. Javits, New York; John Davis Lodge, Connecticut; Donald L. Jackson, California; and Franklin J. Maloney, Pennsylvania. Democrats: Sol Bloom, New York; John Kee, West Virginia; James P. Richards, South Carolina; Joseph L. Pfeifer, New York; Pete Jarman, Alabama; Wirt Courtney, Tennessee; Thomas S. Gordon, Illinois; Helen Gahagan Douglas, California: Mike Mansfield, Montana; Thomas E. Morgan, Pennsylvania; and William M. Colmer, Mississippi. Boyd Crawford, clerk. 2 For information on previous meetings of Subcommittee No. 6 on these United Nations questions, see appendix VI, p. 316. 3 The Senate Committee on Foreign Relations held hearings on July 10, 12, and 15 on legislation dealing with the United Nations; see Senate Report No. 559, 80th Cong., 1st sess., printed in appendix VI, p. 338. |