SPA Files: Lot 61–D 146, Box 4581

Memorandum by the Principal Adviser to the United States Delegation (Hiss) to Mr. Frank Walker, United States Alternate Representative

Attached is a telegram96 just received containing instructions from the President as to candidates for the Court whom the Delegation should support.

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I think you should now feel perfectly free to inform other delegations of our entire slate along the lines we have previously discussed, i.e., that we are actively supporting only Mr. Hackworth and that as to the other candidates for whom we will vote, we are, of course, glad to notify other delegations of our plans but we are not actively campaigning for any of the other candidates on our list.

Moreover, in the light of prior instructions from the Department, we should in communicating our list to the other delegations say the following with respect to Podesta Costa:

We regard him as a jurist of highest eminence, and also as an outstanding advocate of the principles of law and democracy. We should make it plain that there are no political implications in our choice of Podesta Costa.

The delegation’s policy has been to inform the press, after the election, of candidates whom we have supported. I think that the same statement with respect to Podesta Costa noted above should be included in any statement we make to the press or other interested parties.

  1. For content, see infra.