Extract from a letter from Frederick H. Boland to Robert Brennan (Washington DC)
(332/29)

[matter omitted]
We have had several indications that the members of FAO themselves feel that the Organisation should be made as universal as possible, and the Director-General of the Organisation, Sir John Boyd-Orr,¹ is said to strongly favour the admission of countries like this which were neutral during the war.

The two principal questions which arise at the moment are:-

• Whether we should have to make application for membership or whether there is any chance of a golden bridge being laid down; and
• Whether, if we did apply for membership, we could be certain of the necessary two-thirds majority vote.

For the moment, we are not anxious to appear to be seeking membership. Bearing this in mind, however, perhaps it would be possible for you, if a suitable opportunity of such a conversation presents itself, to sound discreetly the appropriate officials of the State Department on the two points mentioned above. If they were positively of the opinion that we should apply and that we could be sure of the necessary two-thirds majority, the fact would have considerable influence on our decision. If, on the other hand, they thought we should wait, or if they volunteered to sound out the ground at the next meeting of the Council of the Organisation, we would probably postpone a decision for the present. If they volunteered to sound out the opinion of the Council, we would prefer, of course, that they should not appear to be doing it at our instance.