Office of the Historian

IO Files: US(P)/A/C.5/4

United States Delegation1 Working Paper

confidential
[Paris,] September 23, 1948.

Reaction of Other Members to the United States Position on the Scale of Financial Contributions

A circular airgram was sent by the Department to all United States Missions in the capitals of Members of the United Nations requesting [Page 267] that the Missions approach the respective foreign offices to ascertain reactions to, and to ask support for, the United States position on the United Nations Contributions Scale. The position was outlined, as in the Committee 5 Instruction Book (Tab 1.f, SD/A/C.5/105),2 as follows:

(1)
Press for the acceptance of the principle of a percentage ceiling in the scale of contributions for the regular administrative budget;
(2)
Seek some reduction in the United States share of the 1949 budget;
(3)
Attempt to secure recognition of 33.33 percent as the appropriate ceiling in normal times.

Thirty-one replies were received up to the beginning of the General Assembly Session. The reply from the Embassy in Moscow expressed the judgment that it would be futile to approach the foreign office on this question.

Of the remaining responses:

Twelve reported positive reactions to the United States position and probable support in the General Assembly;

  • Argentina
  • Bolivia
  • Canada
  • Costa Rica
  • El Salvador
  • Haiti
  • Honduras
  • Iceland
  • Nicaragua
  • Norway
  • Paraguay
  • Venezuela

(It should be noted that, although a reply from Brussels has not been received, the Belgian representative on Committee 5 during the Second Session supported the United States position fully and even proposed that the ceiling should be fixed at twenty-five percent).

Seven reported negative reactions to the United States position and probable opposition in the General Assembly;

  • Australia
  • India
  • Mexico
  • New Zealand
  • Poland
  • Sweden
  • United Kingdom

(A discussion between a Member of the Delegation with M. Parodi indicated that France may be expected to be in this negative category).

Seven reported non-commital reactions:

  • Burma
  • China
  • Ethiopia
  • Netherlands
  • Peru
  • Syria
  • Turkey

[Page 268]

Four reported favorable personal responses by foreign office officials, but no official reactions;

  • Brazil
  • Guatemala
  • Cuba
  • Iran

The attached Annex3 reproduces relevant comments from the Missions.

Robert Kull
  1. The third regular session of the General Assembly was convoked at Paris on September 21. For documentation regarding the composition and organization of the U.S. delegation to this session, see pp. 1 ff.↩
  2. Not printed (IO Files).↩
  3. Not printed.↩