501.BC Greece/3–3047: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to Mr. Mark F. Ethridge, at Belgrade
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185. For Ethridge. Dept appreciative your additional expression views on question of leaving representation in Greece until final SC action (reurtel 819 from Belgrade March 301). Dept agrees with you that it is most important to get report completed and before SC. For your info Austin said in speech2 “US hopes that first report of Commission will be prepared and forwarded with all possible speed following completion of its present schedule of investigations”. Accordingly we believe that it would be imprudent for Commission to consume valuable time at this stage in what might be futile attempt to decide whether or not a team should remain in Northern Greece.
We assume that if Austin’s statement has materially influenced views Commission members you will try once more to reach agreement that representation be left in area until final SC action.
However, on basis your recent appraisals sentiment we agree that it will probably be impossible to obtain such agreement prior to April 7 date upon which SC will commence consideration Austin statement.
We therefore suggest that as next step you attempt to reach agreement that group should be left in area until a fixed date such as April 26 by which time SC presumably will have acted on proposal to be made by US in SC on or after April 7 that team remain in area pending final SC action. If after reasonable period discussion either formally or informally as you see fit you are unable obtain agreement [Page 830] we suggest that matter be dropped in Commission. In this event and unless SC itself directs Commission to leave team behind we will follow situation closely through American Missions in Athens, Belgrade, Sofia and Consulate in Salonika.
Dept prefers to rely on method set forth in last sentence preceding paragraph rather than to attempt plan of which British Embassy informed us today by which you and your British colleague would simply notify Commission that you considered it essential to be kept informed developments and accordingly would send back to Greece certain members your delegations as observers.
US will seek to obtain Council agreement that (a) Commission clearly has power to leave team and (b) Council should direct it to do so. We will state that when commissions are dispatched by SC to conduct on spot investigations it is sound practice for representation to be left in area pending SC action; that if situation is of sufficient importance to warrant investigation there is ample justification for Council to have ready source of information to which questions may be directed to supplement or amplify the information submitted by Commission to Council. Such a group would also be able to submit on its own initiative any additional info relative to subject.3
- Identified also as Ethridge No. 33, not printed; Mr. Ethridge stated that “Most delegations now do not share view that leaving representation in Greece is of maximum importance. They think that its importance as stabilizing factor is dubious so long as matter is before UN and that it has now lost its importance as opening wedge for permanent Commission which all favor. Accordingly, they believe that if fullfledged fight for temporary Commission were raised before report completed, we would be wasting ammunition which should be saved for recommendation for permanent Commission. Also, I am sure that most delegations would chafe at delaying completing report that will be caused by protracted discussion of temporary Commission.” Mr. Ethridge advised that he shared these views. (501.BC Greece/3–3047)↩
- Before the Security Council on March 28; see footnote 2, p. 828.↩
- This telegram was repeated to Geneva, Athens, Sofia, Salonika, London, New York, and Moscow.↩