At the Teheran Conference at the end of November 1943, Roosevelt described to Stalin his concept of the Four Policemen, who would undertake the main, or even the sole, responsibility for keeping the peace after the war. He felt there should be, first, an assembly that would be worldwide and include the united nations, meeting in different places throughout the world, to discuss international problems and make recommendations. Next, there would be an executive committee consisting of the four major states, together with representatives of other groups of countries. This would deal mainly with non-military problems, food, health and economics. It would only have the power to make recommendations, including recommendations for the peaceful settlement of disputes. Finally, there would be the Four Policemen, the chief enforcement body, with the power to deal with any threat to the peace in any sudden emergency. Stalin objected that such a concentration of power among the Big Four would be resisted by the smaller states; and, in any case, China would not be of sufficient power after the war to be a generally acceptable member of a body having enforcement powers in Europe. He proposed a system more like that favoured by Churchill: a committee for Europe, including Britain, Russia, the United States and perhaps one other state, together with a similar body for the Far East. But Roosevelt doubted whether Congress would agree to the United States taking part in a primarily European body which could involve the commitment of US troops. On these grounds Stalin eventually appeared to accept that a single worldwide organisation might be better than one divided on regional lines.
The League of Nations (Societe des Nations): Seed Idea of United Nations
