Foreign Relations of the United States, 1946, General; the United Nations, Volume I

IO Files: US/A/M (Chr.)/13

Minutes of the Thirteenth Meeting of the United States Delegation, Held at New York, Hotel Pennsylvania, November 1, 1946, 9:00 a.m.

New York, November 1, 1946, 9:00 a.m.

top secret

[Here follow list of names of persons (32) present, and Delegation discussion of first item on the agenda.]

Elections to the Security Council

Senator Austin requested Mr. Popper to report on the recent developments regarding the slates for the Security Council. Mr. Popper reported that the conversations were still in an exploratory stage. It was possible that other preferences would be secured within the next few days, at which time it may be necessary to have more definite decisions. He expected that the question would arise in Committee I at the end of next week. The United States slate was not changed from its previous slate of Belgium, Colombia and Syria.

Mr. Popper then read the following telegram of October 29⁴⁰ from Secretary Byrnes regarding the Greek candidacy:

“After thorough consideration of all factors involved I have concluded that it would be unwise under present conditions for us to support Greece for SC or ECOSOC. Although desirous of giving US support to Greek Government, I believe Greek membership on SC would not strengthen SC or our position therein and might prove embarrassing to Greece which has already been involved in two cases before SC and if elected would be in vulnerable position in cases involving other powers. Singling out Greece for reelection to ECOSOC would upset desirable geographic balance and would also violate principle of rotation of Council membership. Delegation may wish to consider Greek membership on any new bodies created by Assembly such as proposed Committee for Codification of International Law⁴¹ if size of that body permits or any new group that may be constituted to consider site matters.”

Senator Vandenberg said that he had talked with the Secretary about this matter and it was agreeable to him to drop Greece from consideration for the Security Council. He stated that he simply wanted to say in extenuation that Mr. Herschel Johnson⁴² agreed with his point of view, but nevertheless the Senator would withdraw his previous suggestion that Greece should be considered.

Indian Candidacy

Mr. Popper reported that there was a strong tendency to support India for the Security Council developing among the United Kingdom and the Dominions and apparently also from Russia. The Indian Delegation had stated that it had twelve to fourteen votes for its candidacy for the Security Council.

Mr. Popper reported that the Delegation had been advised by the Department that if it was unprofitable to support Syria, India might be supported.⁴³ However, it was not certain whether Belgium or Syria would have to give way to India if a change were necessary. He said that the Department was opposed to dropping Belgium because that would reduce the representation from Western Europe. He said that he thought that it would be better to drop Syria since both Syria and India were from the general middle-eastern region.

Mr. Wadsworth pointed out that it was true that India was tied to the Middle East in the organization of the Department of State and was geographically in somewhat the same area as Syria. However, he felt that the Middle East area itself was a very vital one and should have a representative on the Security Council. The only possible alternatives were Greece, Turkey and Iran. The same argument applied to all three possibilities, that they were under Russian pressure. The Turks did not want to have membership on the Security Council; therefore, the state must be an Arab state. Egypt was now on the Security Council and could not be reelected. Then the next best candidate was Syria. Moreover, Syria had the support of the other Arab states and also of many South Americans. Mr. El Khoury⁴⁴ told Mr. Wadsworth that he had definite assurance of support from Gromyko.⁴⁵ El Khoury had sent his men to talk with each of the Eastern European bloc and found that each had instructions to vote for Syria. Mr. Wadsworth thought that the tide was running to support Syria and India and drop Belgium.

Mr. Villard said that he agreed entirely with Mr. Wadsworth. He thought the Delegation should stick to Syria. He saw no valid reason for putting up India as a candidate. He noted that it was Russia that was interested in putting that country forward. He thought the reason for that was to eliminate a western state from the Security Council.

Mr. Dulles thought it would be a great mistake to switch from Belgium to India. The latter was a government groping toward independence and had a parlous domestic situation. It lacked a firm government that could speak with effectiveness. Moreover, it was much more apt to be in the Soviet bloc than was Belgium. He noted that at lunch with Mr. Novikov the latter had said that he wanted India on the Sub-Committee on Trusteeship Agreements. Mr. Bloom added that the Russians had suggested in this connection that India would be acceptable to the Arab states.

Mr. Wadsworth said that Mr. El Khoury had come to see him late the previous evening to say that he had talked with the Indians, who had assured him that India was not a candidate if it meant displacing Syria. India wished to replace Belgium or Colombia. Thus, Mr. Wadsworth said, all the countries in that part of the world agreed that Syria was the best choice.

Senator Connally stated that he was all for the Indians, but noted that the lack of experience of India as a nation and its large amount of trouble at home made it questionable for the Security Council. He thought a nation should learn to walk before it tried to run. He did not think that Belgium should be kept off the Security Council.

Mr. Sandifer pointed out that the Delegation had received a telegram from the Department stating that it still supported the slate and wished the Delegation to continue to support it as long as possible. The Department was definitely opposed to India.

Senator Austin inquired whether anyone wished to propose a change in the Security Council slate. Hearing no motion, he declared that the slate remain unchanged.

40. Telegram 250 from the Department (501.BB/10–2346).
41. For documentation on this subject, see pp. 525 ff.
42. The Acting United States Representative at the United Nations.
43. Reference may be made to telegram 252, October 29 from the Department (501.BC/10–2946) and memorandum of telephone conversation between Director of the Office of Special Political Affairs Hiss (in Washington) and Mr. John C. Ross of the Delegation Staff (in New York), October 31 (501.BC/10–2946), neither printed.
44. Mr. Faris al-Khouri, Head of the Syrian Delegation.
45. Andrei A. Gromyko, Representative on the Soviet Delegation.