740.00119 Council/11–2246: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Acting United States Representative at the United Nations (Johnson)20
291. On November 17, the French and Siamese Delegations in Washington signed an Agreement of Settlement and Protocol to bring to an end the dispute between France and Siam. Article 2 of the Agreement reads in part as follows:
“France and Siam will communicate to the Security Council the [Page 1103] agreement reached and Siam will withdraw the complaint which was introduced before the Council; France will no longer oppose the entrance of Siam into the United Nations.”
Both the French and Siamese representatives here will transmit copies of the Agreement to the Secretary-General. The Siamese letter of transmittal will inform the Secretary-General that the Siamese Government has instructed the Siamese representative to withdraw the complaint filed on July 15, 1946. It will end with a paragraph expressing the hope that the settlement will meet with the approval of the Security Council. We understand the letter to the Secretary-General from the French Government will contain a similar paragraph.21
It is the Department’s view that although it would be entirely appropriate for the SC to express its satisfaction and approval that the settlement was reached in accordance with the principles of the Charter, it would not be appropriate for the Council to approve the substantive aspects of the settlement. Further, we believe that it would be preferable, as a matter of SC procedure, that the Council express its satisfaction and approval in the form of a statement made by the President rather than by a formal resolution. Accordingly, if this procedure is followed, we see no reason why the letters to the Secretary-General should be placed on the agenda of a meeting of the Council.
As soon as the Secretary-General has circulated the two letters, it is suggested that you consult informally with the other representatives to get their approval of the procedure outlined above.
If the Secretary-General or a Council member feels it is necessary to place the letters on the agenda, we nevertheless prefer having Council approbation expressed by a statement of the President rather than by a formal resolution in order to avoid debate on the controversy [Page 1104] between France and Siam or on the terms of the Agreement.
We suggest that you consult with Parodi before approaching other Council members. It is also suggested that you consult with John Allison of the GA Delegation, who is familiar with the background of the settlement.
Copies of the Agreement and both the Siamese and French letters of transmittal will be forwarded to you by pouch as soon as they are available.25
- In a memorandum of November 21, 1946, to Mr. Acheson, the Director of the Office of Far Eastern Affairs (Vincent) stated that the draft of this telegram had been approved in substance informally by the British and French Embassies and the Siamese Legation in regard to procedure for the presentation of the French-Siamese Agreement of Settlement and Protocol to the Security Council. (740.00119 Council/11–2246)↩
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Appropriate letters were submitted to the Secretary-General of the United Nations by Mr. Parodi and Prince Wan on November 28; for texts, see United Nations, Official Records of the Security Council, First Year, Second Series, p. 505. The letters were discussed at the meeting of the Security Council on November 29. Herschel V. Johnson, President of the Council, stated: “I think that I may speak for all my colleagues on this Council in expressing our deep satisfaction that the French and Siamese Governments have reached a settlement of their difficulties by means of direct negotiations between themselves in accordance with the spirit and principles of the Charter.…
“Since the original Siamese complaint has never been placed on the agenda of the Council, I believe that the Council may now consider the matter closed and that no further action by Council is necessary.” (Ibid., p. 506)
In a letter of November 29 to the Secretary-General, Prince Wan requested that consideration of Siam’s application for membership be proceeded with; for text, see SC, 1st yr., 2nd series, Suppl. 10, p. 169. On the recommendation of the Security Council, the General Assembly, on December 15, unanimously adopted a resolution that Siam be admitted to membership; for text, see United Nations, Official Records of the General Assembly, First Session, Second Part, p. 1458.
↩ - In telegram 2675, May 20, 1948, from Paris, the Department was informed that the French mission in Siam had been told orally and in writing by the Siamese Government that it renounced its claims to four disputed provinces of Indochina (751g.9215/5–2048)↩