745X.021/11–854: Telegram
The United States Deputy Representative at the United Nations (Wadsworth) to the Department of State
priority
Delga 198. Re South West Africa.
Following rejection of paragraph 14 report Subcommittee of South West Africa by tie roll-call vote 18[–18] (US)–16 today,1 US was obliged to reconsider quickly its position. In view statement by Senator Smith on October 192 that US would not participate in voting on resolutions bearing upon substance report Committee on South West Africa, USDel decided that in Fourth Committee at least we should maintain this position and not participate in voting. Any other action would have been contrary to our stated position and not understood by Committee. New Zealand also did not participate.
According to Mr. Johnson’s warning to Fourth Committee earlier [Page 1051] today3 if Subcommittee’s report were not adopted, Assembly’s position re South West Africa has become vitiated. No member of Subcommittee feels any longer bound by any part of report. USDel intends to make a statement on November 9 to effect that it no longer feels bound by its statement on November 8. It has already been made known to number of delegations that USDel now regards itself as under no obligation to serve on South West Africa Committee in light refusal refer procedural aspects to ICJ.
Above represents previously stated views of Senator Smith as well as those decided upon today by Mr. Johnson and staff.
- Reference is to the vote in the Fourth Committee on the proposal put forward by the Subcommittee on South West Africa, that the General Assembly reopen the matter of referring to voting procedure on the South West African question to the International Court of Justice. See editorial note, supra.↩
- Reference is to Smith’s statement in the Fourth Committee. For a summation, see UN document A/C.4/SR.409.↩
- For a summation, see UN document A/C.4/SR.424.↩