FE files, lot 55 D 480, “United Nations”
Memorandum by the United Nations Adviser, Bureau of Far Eastern Affairs (Bacon), to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Drumright)
- Subject:
- Non-member Participation in the UN
Attached is a draft instruction to New York prepared by UNP as another effort on non-member participation.1 Ambassador Lodge had suggested that the Department find some formula which would cover Japan alone. The present draft singles out Japan and Italy for initial approaches to see if they would declare their willingness to participate in the GA in a non-member status if the GA saw fit to grant it. If Japan and Italy were receptive to the suggestion, all other qualified applicants (i.e., free-world candidates) might be approached and the GA might then pass a resolution extending to all applicants making declarations which have already been found qualified for admission the privileges of non-member participation.
UNP is proposing this draft in an effort to meet the Secretary’s apparent continuing interest in the proposal as well as Lodge’s desire to respond to Japan’s interest. The proposal has been broadened so as [Page 1049] not to affront the ROK and Jordan, both of which have expressed interest and possibly to make the proposal more palatable to some UN members.
The UK has questioned the proposal on legal grounds and has also informed our Delegation that for political reasons the association of any of the applicants except perhaps Italy in UN activities would be undesirable in the British view. EUR is accordingly objecting to the despatch of the telegram. You may accordingly be asked to discuss the draft at a meeting with Key and Elbrick.
The present draft with certain changes is acceptable to NA and PSA and to me. While it is doubtful that adequate support for the proposal will be forthcoming in the General Assembly, I believe that a further try will do no harm and might possibly do good. In view of the Japanese and ROK interest in the project, I see no reason for dropping it until we are sure that nothing further can be done. Accordingly, I recommend that we support UNP in favoring despatch of the instruction.
- Not attached to source text.↩