501.BE/9–249: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Embassy in France

confidential

3286. Dept advised Belg, Brit and Fr Govts held meeting in Paris Aug 18 on policies re Special Committee on Information Transmitted under Article 73(e) of Charter (hereafter SCI), now meeting Lake Success. Please inquire discreetly and forward soonest any info obtainable re this meeting.

In informal caucus administering members (except Den) held Aug 24 Belg, Brit and Fr Reps informed US Rep their Govts might withdraw participation if SCI extended to three-year period. Inform FonOff Dept instructing USDel tell Belg, Br and Fr Dels that in our opinion such a course, shld it become common knowledge, wld have deplorable effect even if not implemented and that such tactics wld be thoroughly disapproved by other UN Members and wld play into hands Soviet propaganda on colonial issues.

Point out also that when US decided on non-participation in Amer Comite on Dependent Areas held at Havana it announced it believed [Page 355] this Comite unnecessary as issues before it adequately handled by UN organs particularly SCI.

For urinfo major colonial powers strongly opposed to SCI’s continuance with Den and NZ taking more moderate position. Non-administering members generally attach great importance to continuance and will undoubtedly push for permanent estab. Proposal make Comite permanent defeated 4th Comite GA last year by tie vote 17–17 with 18 abstentions. US supported continuance SCI one year in 1947, and in 1948 sponsored compromise proposal subsequently adopted that SCI meet again in 1949 “without prejudice as to future”.

In formulating its policy Dept has taken into account broad polit factors which to some extent are independent of question merits SCI. Even if SCI were considered useless and dangerous, it wld be difficult kill or prevent its permanent estab unless US had alternative proposal appealing to sizeable bloc GA.

Dept, however, considers SCI has performed useful work in procedural field thus improving info transmitted and by establishing liaison with specialized agencies and ECOSOC, has coordinated various UN activities in colonial field. Important contribution of SCI has been that resolutions framed for GA by SCI in which administering members are 8 out of 16 more moderate than those which Comite 4 where administering members are 8 out of 59 wld adopt were it entrusted with same task in first instance.1

View above situation, Depts position so far has been that US Rep in SCI shld (1) initiate or co-sponsor and actively support proposal for continuation SCI with balanced membership and present terms reference for three-year period, without prejudice reconsideration whole problem at 1952 GA; (2) vote against any proposal give SCI permanent status now.

USDel SCI being requested consult Den, Austrl, NZ privately and sound out position non-administering members. On basis this info Dept will decide what position USDel shld take in SCI and whether you shld make any formal representations to FonOff.

Sent Paris, repeated London,2 Brussels3 for action, USUN for info.

Acheson
  1. See telegram 1075, September 8, to the Embassy in Belgium, p. 356, for clarification of this paragraph.
  2. Telegram 3194.
  3. Telegram 1066.