IO Files: US/A/1555

Memorandum of Conversation, by Mr. John C. Ross, Deputy to the United States Representative at the United Nations (Austin)

confidential
Participants: Dr. Homero Viteri-Lafronte, Permanent Representative of Ecuador to the UN
Ambassador Warren R. Austin, United States Mission
Mr. John Ross, United States Mission
Mr. Charles Noyes, United States Mission
Mr. Porter McKeever, United States Mission

At his request Ambassador Viteri-Lafronte called on Ambassador Austin this morning. He said he had called to raise United States support for Ecuador as successor to Argentina on the Security Council. He made, in supporting this request, the following points:

1.
Ecuador has never been elected to any important United Nations office.
2.
It seemed appropriate that a Pacific State in Latin America should succeed one (Argentina) on the Atlantic seaboard.
3.
It seemed appropriate to give this job next year to Ecuador and thus break the habit of passing UN jobs around among a selected few.
4.
The President of Ecuador1 was very much interested in a seat for his country on the Security Council. There were two important elements involved. First, the President had had a long-standing interest in the United Nations, having represented his country at the San Francisco Conference. Second, the President was making very great and earnest efforts to build up true democracy in Ecuador.

Ambassador Austin, while indicating very warm feelings for the President of Ecuador and sympathy for Ecuador’s interest in the [Page 238] possibility of being elected to the Security Council, indicated that this was a matter on which the State Department had not yet reached any decision.2

  1. Galo Plaza Lasso.
  2. In response to an inquiry (telegram 233 from Quito, September 6, 1949, 501.BC/9–649), the Department in telegram 218 Informed the Ambassador in Ecuador (Simmons) on September 9: “You may assure FonMin (Embtel 233, September 6) US has not yet determined position re LA candidacy for SC and accordingly has not given support any LA candidate. Position, in accordance with our usual practice, will be determined after USDel reaches NY and has been informed results LA caucus. In your discretion you may state to FonMin that in future US wld hope LA states wld agree in principle that one of two LA seats on SC shld always be occupied by one of larger states that area. Informal conversations NY indicate no other states share this view. Acheson”. (501.BC/9–649)