Office of the Historian

501.BC/9–649: Telegram

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

secret
New York, September 6, 1949—7 p. m.

456. Following are Depts views on membership questions which may arise in SC meeting Sept 7.

1.
Since Nepal is coming up for first time, formal vote probably necessary and US shld vote favorably, probably making brief statement. Under Rule 60, SC obviously free to take up application even though normal 25 day time limit has expired.
2.
As to 12 reconsidered applicants listed in Sov resolution, our position remains as stated Deptel 354 July 8, i.e., that we prefer avoid formal votes but wld not oppose such vote if general sentiment favors; and that if votes are necessary we abstain on five Sov candidates.
3.
If draft report to GA on membership is placed before Council, setting forth divergent views on questions (see S/PV 4311) we wld on balance prefer that so far as the 12 reconsidered applicants are concerned, SC merely approve such report.
4.
If vote is taken, and otherwise in your discretion, we shld repeat statement of June 21 to effect “we have no intention in the future of permitting our vote to prevent the admission to membership of any applicant receiving 7 affirmative votes in SC” as well as statement of June 24 that US “wld be prepared to reconsider this question at any time if it shld appear that further developments cast new light on the qualifications for membership under Art 4, of Bulg, Alb, Rum, Hung, and the Mongolian People’s Republic or if, as a result of changes in [Page 300] the positions of any members of the Security Council, there appears any likelihood of the Council taking affirmative action on any of these applications”.2
Acheson
  1. The reference is to Security Council documentation.↩
  2. On September 7 the Security Council received and considered the report of its Committee on the Admission of New Members concerning Nepal’s application, that committee certifying in its report that Nepal fulfilled the requirements for United Nations membership; but the Council failed to take affirmative action due to the negative vote of a permanent member (the Soviet Union) (SC, 4th yr., No. 39, p. 16). For Ambassador Austin’s statement to the Security Council in support of the application of Nepal, see ibid., pp. 12 ff.↩