501.AA/9–1249

Memorandum by Miss Ruth Bacon1

secret

You may wish to note that our Mission in New York reports (New York’s 1088, September 92) that Feller (American, General Counsel and Director of the Legal Department of the UN Secretariat) has in mind that the General Assembly Credentials Committee may become [Page 287] strategically important if a Chinese Communist Delegation should appear during this GA. He has said that he would examine with the greatest care the recommendations which his office would make to the GA President concerning the composition of this Committee.

According to normal practice the Secretariat recommends the composition of the Credentials Committee of the GA, the President presents it to the Assembly and the Assembly approves it by acclamation.

FE is also taking up with UNA and Mr. Clark3 the need of paying greater attention than usual to the composition of the Credentials Committee at this Session.

  1. Addressed to the Director of the Office of Far Eastern Affairs (Butterworth) and the Deputy Director (Allison). This was addressed also to Livingston T. Merchant, who became Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs on September 29 (at which time Mr. Butterworth became Assistant Secretary and Mr. Allison assumed charge of Northeast Asian Affairs; Miss Bacon assumed duties on October 3 as United Nations Adviser, Bureau of Far Eastern Affairs).
  2. Not printed.
  3. Lewis Clark, Counselor of Embassy in China until the evacuation of the Embassy staff from Nanking, at this time designated Far Eastern specialist on the Advisory Staff of the U.S. Delegation to the impending session of the General Assembly of the United Nations.