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by 1 February; or, if they have got to consider organizational problems arising under this part of the Charter, I wonder whether they would be able to do it and report before the conference finishes. I should hope that the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics would get its representatives here by 1 February.
The President: I would point out to the representative of the United Kingdom that there is no conference actually; this Council is in permanent session.
Mr. Wellington Koo (China): The Chinese Government has appointed General Shang Chen, Chief of Staff to the Generalissimo, as its representative on the Military Staff Committee. He will be accompanied by military, naval and air advisers. They left on 23 January, and there is every reason to expect that they will arrive before 1 February.
As regards the date, therefore, we are quite ready to accept 1 February; but, in view of the possibility that the USSR representatives may arrive just on that day, I wondered whether or not we could amend the proposal of the United States representative by making it “not later than 2 February”. That, perhaps, would meet the possibility that the Soviet representatives may arrive too late for a meeting on 1 February, a possibility which, of course, may not materialize. We should then be able to meet on 1 February if they had arrived, and, if not, on 2 February.
Mr. Paul-Boncour (France) (translated from French): The French delegation willingly accepts the suggested date of 1 February. We shall submit the names of our military experts later.
Mr. Stettinius (United States of America): If it so happens that the military representatives of the USSR do not arrive by 1 February, of course they may ask for an adjournment of a day, but I think it would be best that we agree that our target date be 1 February.
Mr. Vyshinsky (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) (translated from Russian): Subject to a postponement of a day or two if our representatives do not arrive in time, I agree that the meeting be called for 1 February. For my part I will today take all possible measures to ensure their arrival here by 1 February, but weather conditions between Moscow and London are sometimes unfavourable.
Mr. Bevin (United Kingdom): I think I can assure the representative of the USSR that the British Government will do its best to dispel the fog before 1 February.
Mr. Vyshinsky (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) (translated from Russian): And I hope that the British Government will make the
