Foreign Relations of the United States, 1949, The United Nations; The Western Hemisphere, Volume II

501.BB/9–2049: Telegram

The Acting Secretary of State to the United States Representative at the United Nations (Austin)¹

secret

[Washington,] September 21, 1949—7 p. m.

Gadel 4. In light Delga 5 and 6,² Dept believes US position in respect election new SC members as set forth in position paper³ shld be modified in accordance with this tel.

Del shld vote for Yugo to succeed Ukraine so long as there is strong sentiment in GA for its election.

Del shld inform UK and Fr Dels of this position promptly. Del is authorized to inform other dels at such time as in its discretion it believes is desirable. In expressing US position to other dels it shld be stated US will vote for Yugo to succeed Ukraine on SC if majority of GA support it, but if Yugos do not get majority GA support, US will cast its vote for whatever Eastern Eur state is supported by USSR.

Dept’s position based in part on fact it wld be injurious to our relations with Yugo if they knew that US was not supporting them in their candidacy for SC. On other hand, Dept believes it of utmost importance to avoid any impression that movement for Yugo election to SC was sponsored by US or that US is prime mover in that direction.

Webb

1. Ambassador Austin as United States Representative at the United Nations normally would have been chairman of the United States Delegation to the General Assembly. At this time, however, Dean G. Acheson, the Secretary of State, was in New York with the Delegation and so headed it. Meetings of the Delegation at the U.S. Mission began on September 19, the day before the General Assembly convened; complete summary minutes of such meetings are to be found in the IO Files in the series US/A/M(Chr). For documentation on the composition and organization of the U.S. Delegation to this session, see pp. 12 ff.
2. The Delegation had reported that on September 20 members of the Yugoslav Delegation to the General Assembly had approached certain U.S. delegates, among others, and let it be known that Yugoslavia would be a candidate for an “East European” vacancy on the Security Council. (501.BC/9–2049)
3. Not printed.