In 1849 it took the clipper ship flying cloud 89 days to reach San Franciscos golden gate harbor from new york. In the spring of 1945, no point on earth was more than 40 flying hours away from San Francisco. In those 100 years, San Francisco grew larger as the world grew smaller. It developed into a vigorous and cosmopolitan center. For nine weeks in the spring of 1945, San Francisco was the center of mens hopes for lasting peace. Delegates came to San Francisco on april 25th, 1945, representing almost 2,000 Million People. All at war when the conference was begun, they came with hope, born of common struggle. They came to design together machinery to end war, a curse which in 30 years killed 40 million human beings. S . Maimed countless millions more, both armed and unarmed. When the conference convened, Franklin Roosevelt was missing, the man who helped weld the United Nations together as a team, and helped to keep them united died before he could see him dream come true. But his words were in every mind and heart. 25 years ago American Fighting men looked to the statesmen of the world, to furnish the work of peace for which they fought and suffered. We failed them. We failed them, and we cannot fail them again and expect the world to survive again. President truman, roosevelts friend and successor, opened the conference by radio. It is not the purpose of this to draft a treaty of peace in the old sense of that term. This conference will devote its energies and labors exclusively to the single problem of setting up the essential organization to keep the peace. You are the fundamental charter. As the delegates broke up that first night, the task before them was clear. To chart the course toward realistic International Cooperation to preserve peace. This was the responsibility vested in them by a warweary world. It was for this they had gathered at the invitation of the government of china for great britain, the ussr and the united states. By dunkirk, stalingrad, midway. Planned for at casablanca, dunbarton. Delegates from 46 and later 50 nations were there. But there in spirit, too, were the victims of warsaw, coventry, shanghai and more. The hopes of the living and the dead were concentrated in the hands of the representatives meeting in San Francisco. Together they organized a huge problem ahead of them. The discussion in the proposals prepared at dun garlbarton oaksh nation represented at all four to work out the provisions of the United Nations charter and the structure of the General Assembly, Security Council and judicial organization. These committees were divided into smaller working groups. 12 in all. Chinese, english, russian, french, and spanish were the standard means among which many languages spoke. And in nine weeks the charter was ready to go before the participating governments for ratification. In the General Assembly of the United Nations organization, each member will have one vote. Any matters within the scope of the charter will be discussed here. Recommendations will be made to the Security Council. The Security Council will have five permanent members, and six others elected by the General Assembly for two years. It is to be the enforcement arm of the organization. An International Court of justice in permanent session will decide legal aspects of international disputes. The economic and social council will have 18 members elected by the General Assembly. Special agencies like the food and Agriculture Organization will be affiliated with it. The Trusteeship Council for the advancement of territories held in trust will be part of the General Assembly. It will be equally divided between those nations and those who do not. There will be a secretariate to do the administrative work. These provisions were not easily arrived at. They were hammered out, stretched and compromised. The result is a constitution that is at the same time an expression of high ideals and practical measures. To be effective, the charter needs the active cooperation of people everywhere. The same efforts and understanding that went into the writing of the charter will be needed to make it a working instrument. To fulfill the mutual responsibilities of nations as set forth in the charter, to bring about free world trade and mens productive resources, men and women of goodwill everywhere must come to know and understand one another. In this charter, humanity has declared its united purpose to work toward those economic goals. The social and Economic Council of the United Nations organizations gives people a instrument for a higher standard of living everywhere. Through their delegates in San Francisco, the member nations pledge to use that instrument. They pledge, too, to stimulate the exchange of culture among peoples and, in the words of the charter, to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one another as good neighbors. At San Francisco, 50 United Nations reaffirm their faith in the dignity and worth of the human person, without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion. Representatives of 2,000 Million People pledge to promote freedom from fear, freedom of expression, freedom from want and freedom of worship. The second week of the conference brought the news of germanys surrender, proof of the power of many against a common enemy. But in their wake, the germans left horror and devastation, a s specter of fashism and the price of total war, which would haunt civilization for decades to come. Strong and effective machinery must guarantee that generations will be spare d such destructio. Therefore at San Francisco, the delegation settled their disputes by peaceful means. To suppress their aggression and pledged to place their arms at the disposal of the international organization. For speedy combined action, air forces will be held immediately available. Final responsibility is vested in the powerful Security Council authorized to work swiftly and effectively with the aid of its military staff committee. It had the unanimous approval of the participating delegates. And it is now my duty, my honor and my privilege in the chair to call for a vote on the approval of the charter of the United Nations, including the st statute of the International Law and also of the agreement on interim arrangements. If i have your pleasure, may i invite the leaders of delegations who are in favor of the approval of the charter and the statute, and the agreement on interim arrangements to rise in their places and be good enough to remain standing while theyre counted . [ applause ] this was a peoples conference, responsible to the conscience of the world. Here in the midst of war, the worlds people collaborated in the drafting of a workable international constitution. It was a conference to write a peoples charter, opening with the words we the people of the United Nations, determined to save succeeding generations from the skorge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind. It was a peoples conference and a soldiers conference. Meeting under the eyes of veterans of two wars. And the generation that must suffer if the constitution fails. Common people and their governments alike were aware of the stakes. There were many who doubted that an agreement could be reached by these 50 countries, differing so much in race, religion, language, and culture. But these differences were all forgotten in one unity of determination, to find a way to end war. This charter points the way. But whether or not the world is to move in that direction will depend finally on the vigilance and the sovereign will of the peoples of the world. Weeknight this is month were featuring American History tv programs as a preview of whats available every weekend on cspan3. Tonight programs on the military. Well travel to northeastern france to tour two battlefields where american and French Forces fought in the spring of 1918 to stop a german offensive toward paris. That starts at 8 00 p. M. Eastern. Enjoy American History tv every weekend on cspan3. Youre watching American History tv. Every weekend on cspan3, explore our nations past. Cspan3, created by americas Cable Television companies as a Public Service and brought to you today by your television provider. Tuesday morning, former fbi Deputy Director Andrew Mccabe testifies on the review of the fbi russia investigation. In a hearing before the Senate Judiciary committee. Watch live at 11 00 a. M. Eastern on cspan3. Online at cspan. Org or listen live on the free cspan radio app. The Supreme Court hears oral arguments on the Affordable Care act in the consolidating cases of texas v. California and california v. Texas at tuesday 10 00 a. M. Eastern on cspan. The Health Care Law was challenged by texas after a 2019 republican tax law eliminated the penalty for not having health care insurance. Listen to the oral arguments live at 10 00 a. M. Eastern live on cspan, live on cspan. Org supremecourt or on the cspan radio app. The yunded nati united nati was signed and went into effect four months later october 24th. Up next on reel america, the United Nations and world disputes. This 1950 u. S. Army film shows the founding of the United Nations and documents how the body responded to crises in its first five years. Highlighted are conflicts in india, indonesia, and pakistan, the middle east and the korean peninsula. Plans for a final victory. More important, churchill and stali
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