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

IO Files: US/A/1789

Memorandum of Conversation, by Mr. John D. Hickerson of the United States Delegation

confidential

[New York,] September 27, 1949.

I saw Ambassador Kosanovic¹ in the Delegates’ Lounge at 11:30 this morning. I referred to Mr. Kardelj’s and his conversation with me at the Waldorf-Astoria at the Secretary’s reception on September 20th in regard to Yuogslavia’s candidacy for the Security Council seat now held by the Ukraine. I also referred to his inquiry of me yesterday as to whether the United States Delegation had reached a decision in this matter.

I told Mr. Kosanovic that the United States Delegation had decided that of the two candidates, Czechoslovakia and Yugoslavia, the United States Delegation would vote for Yugoslavia. I stated that we would do no campaigning but would confine ourselves to voting for Yugoslavia and to informing other delegations who have inquired about our attitude that we were going to do so.

Ambassador Kosanovic expressed his deep appreciation and said that he knew Mr. Kardelj and his Government would be tremendously pleased. I went on to say to Ambassador Kosanovic that while there were no conditions attached to our decision to vote for Yugoslavia, I hoped very much that his Delegation would be as helpful as they could in the Greek case. He replied at once that he did not think that we would find any difficulty over Yugoslavia’s attitude in the Greek case. He said that we would have to bear in mind, of course, that Yugoslavia, in view of her past attitude, would find it difficult to cooperate with UNSCOB but that Yugoslavia’s aid to Greek Guerrillas had stopped and that the attitude of Yugoslavia in the Greek case should not cause us any difficulties.²

As I was getting in my car a few minutes after 2:00 o’clock at Lake Success, Ambassador Kosanovic came up to me and said that he understood the press had the word that we were going to vote for Yugoslavia and that he wanted me to know that the press did not receive this word from the Yugoslav Delegation. He again expressed his great appreciation for the decision of the United States Delegation.

1. Sava Kosanović, Yugoslav Ambassador to the United States and Member of the Yugoslav Delegation.
2. Documentation on the Greek matter is scheduled for publication in volume vi .