Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, Africa and South Asia, Volume XI, Part 1

320.14/12–654: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the United States Mission at the United Nations

limited official use
priority

Washington, December 8, 1954—4:20 p.m.

Gadel 145. Re Delga 349¹ Dept concurs conclusion US Delegation to reluctantly accept membership on South West Africa Committee along lines of Gadel 79.² Our understanding is that securing flexible terms of reference not procedurally feasible. If securing more flexible terms of reference not possible, Del should nevertheless accept reluctantly but state in Committee that it would approach problem in SWA Committee on more flexible basis.

Dulles

1. Dated Dec. 6, p. 1053.
2. Referenced telegram stated that the Department concurred with the Delegation’s inclination not to serve on the South West Africa Committee and hoped that Canada could be persuaded to serve. As long as the latter possibility existed, the Delegation should continue to indicate its unwillingness. If and when the Delegation reached the conclusion that the continued pressure on the United States amounted to a draft, then the Delegation might indicate that the United States was willing to make another effort to cooperate in seeking a solution to the problem and hoped that more flexible terms of reference would provide an avenue for acceptable compromise, although it was not sanguine of success in view of the distance between the positions of the United Nations and the Union Government. (745X.021/10–2954)