501.BC
Spain/10–1548: Telegram
The Secretary of State at
Paris to the Acting Secretary of
State
secret
priority
Paris, October
15, 1948—4 p. m.
Delga 338. US GADel working group must shortly submit
to delegation precise outline position paper on Spain. Working group has
taken into account views expressed in Department and by Department
officers to foreign representatives. Of particular relevance is
Secretary’s memo of conversation with Bevin and Schuman on this subject
dated October 4.
Before submitting paper to delegation, working group will appreciate
Department’s comments. Draft position paper follows:
- “1. The US would have preferred that the Spanish question
not be on the agenda of the present session of the GA. It favors, therefore, the
placing of the Spanish question at the end of the Committee
One agenda and would support deferring action on the matter
if a shortage of time indicates certain subjects must be
deferred by this session of the Assembly. In pursuit of this
objective, the USDel
should express informally to other delegations the view that
we hope consideration of the Spanish question can be avoided
at this session.
- 2. If the Spanish question is actively considered at this
session of the Assembly: (1) The US should take no
initiative on the subject; (2) in dealing with the Spanish
question the USDel should
be strongly influenced by the effect of its action on the
democracies of Western Europe. Although it may not be
necessary for the US to vote in accordance with Western
European democracies, it should at least ascertain [Page 1057] from top level
political discussions whether a particular US vote would
have serious and unfavorable repercussions within western
and northern European democracies and the British
Commonwealth, whether on the domestic situation, the
relation between those countries and the US, or the attitude
of their public opinion toward the US.
- 3. Subject to paragraph two, above, the USDel would be willing to
vote favorably for resolutions proposed by other delegations
which would (a) permit specialized
agencies to admit Spain to membership if the effectiveness
of the specialized agencies would be enhanced thereby from
the technical point of view, (b)
permit the UN members to exchange chiefs of diplomatic
missions with Spain. As between these two modifications of
the 1946 resolution, the US would prefer modification
regarding the specialized agencies to that regarding chiefs
of mission.
- 4. The USDel should not
vote for (a) a resolution more
strongly anti-Franco than the 1946 resolution, (b) a reaffirmation of the 1946
resolution, (c) a total rescission of
the 1946 resolution.
- 5. Prior to actual consideration of the Spanish question
in the GA and the tabling of
motions by other delegations, the USDel should limit its discussions with other
delegations to the point contained in paragraph one,
above.”
