First meeting of the Executive Committee was held this morning,
Noel-Baker (United Kingdom) as temporary chairman. Election of
chairman was the main item of business. Koo (China) proposed that
chairmanship should rotate among Big Five quoting San Francisco as
precedent. Brazil, Netherlands and Australia immediately objected
and presented a case for single chairman. In my statement I made
the following points-
(a) In this instance the Great Powers had no special position as
their role as sponsoring powers ceased with the signing of the
Charter.

(b) The only special position accorded to them by Charter was
recognition that Military power and influence entitled them to
permanent membership of the Security Council but considerations
which applied to the Security Council did not apply to purely
administrative functions of the Executive Committee.

(c) The Executive Committee was first organ of the United Nations
Organisation and care should be taken not to introduce any system
of chairmanship contrary to the interests of organisation.

(d) Selection of the special group of members to share
chairmanship was contrary to principle of sovereign equality of
members.

(e) We would vote for election of a single chairman freely
nominated whether from among Great Powers or from other members.

2. Gromyko (Soviet Union) favoured continuation of the San
Francisco method of rotating chairmanship. Canada, who supported
our view, then suggested postponement of decision to allow further
discussion, thus throwing responsibility on the Great Powers to
bring forward new suggestion. The possibilities now appear to be
either-
(a) Election of Russian as single chairman or
(b) Election by the Committee of panel larger than the Big Five
among whom chairmanship will rotate. British do not seek
chairmanship themselves.

3. After general discussion of procedure, the Committee adjourned
to to-morrow. Papers relating to meeting are being forwarded by
air with memorandum AR/1.