501.AA/8–1546: Telegram
The Acting United States Representative at the United Nations (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
u.s. urgent
[Received 6:29 p.m.]
300. I have just had a talk with Gromyko along the lines of the Department’s 155, August 6, 8 p.m.
He said that his instructions were definite in regard to Portugal, Ireland, Trans Jordan and Siam, that not only would Russia take a negative attitude toward these four countries in the Membership Committee but he would vote against them in the Security Council. He [Page 428] said that there is no other reason than the fact that these countries do not have diplomatic relations with Russia, and that in the case of Ireland and Portugal it is clear from their attitudes in the past that they do not desire relations with Russia. The Russian stand on these countries, he said, is one of principle and that he knows of no reason to believe that this attitude may be changed. Sweden and Iceland he mentioned favorably as having diplomatic relations with Russia and as being otherwise eligible from the Russian point of view.
He then spoke warmly about the candidacy of Outer Mongolia, emphasizing particularly the fact that Outer Mongolia had contributed to the limit of her ability in the promotion of the war against Japan. His remarks conveyed the suggestion that the attitude of other countries toward Outer Mongolia might have a bearing on the Russian attitude toward Sweden, Iceland and Afghanistan whose applications on their own merits Russia would be disposed to favor. He did not mention Albania in this connection, although he referred warmly to that country’s claim to membership.
I thanked him for his statement and said I regretted his expressed attitude that opinions of other countries about Outer Mongolia should in any way affect decisions on other applications. He countered that remark by saying that Russia felt the merits of Outer Mongolia, despite the primitive state of development of that country, were as fully entitled to consideration as those of countries who had not made any direct contribution to the defeat of Germany and Japan.
Gromyko’s remarks gave no reason to doubt that the Russian decision against Ireland, Portugal, Transjordan and Siam is a fixed one. He may have wished, however, to give this impression at the present time in the hope that might influence our attitude. It is not possible from what he said to hazard a guess as to whether Russia will veto all or some of the other applicants if Outer Mongolia is not admitted.
I am communicating the substance of this talk orally to Cadogan and Velloso and I may have talks also with Hsia and Parodi if it seems later advisable.24
- Pedro L. Velloso and Alexandre Parodi were Representatives on the Security Council for Brazil and France, respectively, and C. L. Hsia was an Alternate Representative for China.↩