501.BC/2–1247: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the United States Representative at the United Nations (Austin)
45. We are most appreciative of Ambassador Johnson’s conversations in response to Dept’s 27 Jan 271 regarding possible candidates for governorship of Trieste. Of names suggested by Cadogan2 we feel Colban3 precluded because of his advanced age and not too decisive personality. We doubt whether two Dutch candidates, Messrs. Nedbragt and Enthoven,4 would prove accceptable to Russians. Too little is known of the Norwegian Theodore Broch5 to enable us to form an opinion but in general we feel that a Norwegian Governor might be subject to Soviet attempts at influence. We are favorably disposed toward Justice Sandström of Sweden6 but have certain reservations because of his fairly advanced age and a possible tendency toward fixed opinions. As for the Spaniard Azcarate7 who is put forward by French, we feel that his left-wing antecedents and associations while recommending him to USSR would preclude his consideration for this important post. Furthermore, if UN must go outside its own membership to select a Governor, it would seem inappropriate to choose a Spaniard.
Lleras8 considered by us one of best qualified candidates for Directorship Pan American Union, for which post elections take place March 12. For your confidential information, possibility that developments might lead us to support him for Pan American post would impel us not to accept him for Trieste governorship.
We feel another person well known to Mr. Johnson merits serious consideration: Lt. General Nordenskjold, present Chief of Swedish Air Force.9
Please inquire of Gromyko10 if he now has any candidates to suggest. We suggest you discuss following composite slate with your Big [Page 61] Four colleagues: General Guisan of Switzerland,11 General Nordenskjold of Sweden, Minister Egeland of South Africa,12 Lleras Camargo of Colombia and Justice Sandström of Sweden. Biographic data being forwarded. At same time you may now inform your other SC colleagues of our general slate and solicit in particular their suggestions as to other qualified candidates.
Following signature of peace treaties Feb 10, we hope target date can be established for selection of Trieste governor-designate by Mar 1. We are not disposed to go along with Cadogan’s suggestion that a sub-committee be appointed to consider names and report back to SC, since we feel that same objective can more easily be obtained by informal consultations with your colleagues. As for methods of approach by SC to governments of Italy and Yugo for consultation on candidates for governorship, we feel channel should be SYG and that he should continue to be UN means of communication in matters concerning Trieste.
- Not printed.↩
- Sir Alexander G. M. Cadogan, Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom on the Security Council.↩
- Erik Colban, Norwegian Ambassador in London.↩
- Dr. Henri Emile Enthoven, former head of the Division of Post-War Reconstruction, United Nations Information Office, New York.↩
- Theodor Broch served during the war as attorney for the Royal Norwegian Ministry of Supply and Reconstruction in London.↩
- Alfred Emil Fredrik Sandström, judge of the Supreme Court of Sweden.↩
- Pablo de Azcarate y Flores, Spanish jurist; Deputy Secretary-General of the League of Nations, 1933–1936; Ambassador in London, 1936–1939.↩
- Alberto Lleras Camargo, President of Colombia, 1945–1946.↩
- Lt. Gen. Bengt G. Nordenskiold, Commander in Chief of the Swedish Air Force.↩
- Andrey Andreyevich Gromyko, Soviet Representative on the Security Council.↩
- Gen. Henri Guisan, Commander in Chief of the Swiss Army, 1939–1945.↩
- Leif Egeland, delegate of South Africa to the first United Nations General Assembly and to the Paris Peace Conference.↩