500.CC/12–1844: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Chargé in Brazil (Donnelly)
3733. Your telegram 4307, December 2, 3 p.m.78 For your own guidance and such use with the Brazilian authorities as you deem desirable, there is set forth below a brief statement of this Government’s position in respect of Brazil’s aspirations to a seat on the Council of the International Security Organization.
The United States is prepared to give strong support to Brazil’s claim to a non-permanent seat on the Security Council. It is not prepared to insist upon the allocation to Brazil of a permanent seat. Among the reasons for our position is the fact that the prospects of success without the active support of Soviet Russia would, as a practical matter, be negligible. The effort would not only be fruitless but would weaken this Government’s stand on other important issues.
There is determined opposition to increasing the membership of the Council over the present proposal of eleven, to be composed of five permanent and six non-permanent members. An increase in the number of permanent seats would therefore involve reducing the number of non-permanent members to five at the sacrifice of other vital interests. A major consideration, among others, in the selection of the five permanent members is the estimated contribution which such members could, should the necessity arise, make to the enforced maintenance of peace in any part of the world, including the Far East, as measured by their prospective naval, air, and military strength, as well as the possession of adequate transportation facilities, in the period following the end of hostilities.
It is the belief of this Government that Brazil’s interests will best be served by not pressing the case for a permanent seat at the present time. Your 4307, December 2 does not make clear whether you refer to a permanent or non-permanent seat. Please inform the Department whether in your opinion Brazil would be satisfied with assurances of this Government’s support for a non-permanent seat on the Council.
- Not printed.↩