501.A Summaries/4–748: Telegram
The United States Representative at the United Nations (Austin) to the Secretary of State
398 [Daily Classified Summary No. 44.] Membership. At a private Big Five meeting in USUN offices April 7, after Austin noted the proposal to reconsider applications of Italy and Transjordan, Gromyko (USSR) said the position of the Soviet Union was well-known and had not been changed; he could not agree to the admission of Italy without at the same time Bulgaria, Rumania, Hungary and Finland being admitted. As far as Transjordan was concerned, Gromyko said the USSR would be willing to vote favorably if Outer Mongolia and Albania were also admitted.
Cadogan (UK), pointing out he had said many times earlier no state was entitled to link its approval of one applicant with approval of any other, said Gromyko’s position was based on an incorrect interpretation of the Potsdam Declaration; that the Declaration was never intended to bind signatories to admit ex-enemy states regardless of whether they had committed an act of aggression, or some similar act.
Stating the GA had given the applications of Italy and Transjordan a kind of priority, Tournelle (France) thought it preferable for the SC to deal with these two only. However, it was open to other states to ask for additional applications to be placed on the provisional agenda. Gromyko said the GA could not bind the SC.
Austin noted the Ukraine had requested that the applications of a number of additional states be placed on the provisional agenda, and [Page 191] he thought that, if this were going to be done, the other states of Eire, Portugal and Austria should also be considered by the council. Gromyko pointed out this depended upon whether a state raised the matter formally.
Tsiang (China) hoped that Burma’s application, which had been approved by the membership committee, would not be mixed with the others. Gromyko and the others agreed.
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