Signing the Charter.

• Author: McLaughlin, Donal
• Position: United Nations Charter - Special 50th Anniversary Edition - Cover Story

A great effort went into the staging of the ceremony which Life magazine compared to a "Hollywood production". I prepared a flow chart to avoid hitches in guiding delegates and visitors to the right places inside the building. Each delegation would be escorted through the foyer, its guests dropped off at the visitors gallery. The delegates, at a special backstage briefing station, were instructed on where to stand so that they would be in "camera-range" when they signed the document. At the right moment, they were escorted to a holding area in the wings.

It was agreed that the stalking and crawling antics of the still photographers at the opening plenary session had been an unwelcome distraction. To avoid repetition, we set some simple rules for the media as to their mobility - mainly a 12-inch-high-rope railing set back from the table on a 25-foot radius. The motion picture people, perched high on scaffolds in the rear, were delighted to have their field of vision thus unobstructed.

The 50 countries signed in alphabetical order, beginning at 10 a.m. on June 26. The Chinese delegation was first and brought its own equipment - brushes, inkstick, mortar - and called for a Dixie cup of water. While the world waited, they ground a fresh batch of pure, dense, black Chinese ink.

From there on, things went smoothly and on schedule. Dr. Kelchner of the United States State Department - he was the very image of a gentleman of the old school - greeted each new delegation as they entered. My role in the proceedings was to be all over the place. One moment, I happened to be in the corridor outside the briefing room when the Soviet delegation arrived with Andrei Gromyko at its head. He stopped in front of me as if to say, "What do I do next?" As I explained the briefing room and its purpose, I noticed some dust on his Chesterfield collar. I simply brushed it off naturally as I talked. He took no notice, but I thought later that some Soviet bodyguard could have floored me for such impertinence.

The ceremony was proceeding smoothly as the afternoon wore on, but suddenly in burst a dozen dark-clad security figures from a side door. Everybody backstage stopped in their tracks. In walked President Truman, Secretary of State Stettinius and the American delegation.

Mr. Stettinius requested that the Charter be brought backstage so that he could take his time with his signature...