501.BB/8–349: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the United States Mission at the United Nations, at New York

confidential

408. Reur 888 Aug 31 our feeling is it most unlikely US would be willing to place on agenda of Fourth GA an item on Czech govt moves against Catholic Church. We make sharp distinction between Czech matter, where only Charter provisions are involved, and treaty violations by ex-enemy states bound by specific provisions of peace treaties to certain standards of conduct.

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It is impossible for us to give any indication at this stage as to what the US position would be if another country were to raise this question in GA. Insofar as UN action is concerned case involves one of most controversial areas of human rights field, and we are by no means certain that general support could be obtained for any resolution which might be proposed. Even in cases of Hungary and Bulgaria we recall that twenty GA dels abstained on vote to place item on agenda and that many dels were very reluctant to support GA action beyond discussion and a resolution making reference to the treaty proceedings. This relunctance stemmed from fear of UN interference in matters of domestic jurisdiction as well as some feeling that UN action could not realize any concrete result. While we do not question GA competence in human rights field, it is our view that at this stage GA action should be focused primarily on the attainment of agreement on common standards and on effective assistance in the settlement of problems of international concern. On basis present info we cannot see clearly what useful result GA would achieve by discussion of Czech case and are apprehensive that an inconclusive discussion might result in indefinitely retaining the question on GA agenda and in impairing future potentialities of GA in field of human rights. Unless our doubts can be overcome, we should find it difficult to play an active or leading role in the consideration of such a question.

Pls communicate these views to Papanek, indicating that, while we do not intend to discourage any govt from placing this matter on GA agenda—in line with our general policy of favoring full discussion in GA of matters within scope of Charter—we look with some apprehension, on basis of info now available to us, on any move to introduce the Czech-Church problem at this time.

We would be interested in having any detailed info Papanek may wish to make available to us.

Acheson
  1. Not printed. It reported that the United States Delegation to the United Nations had been approached by Jan Papanek (former Czechoslovak Permanent Representative to the U.N.), representing a group of Czechoslovak exiles, who were preparing material on recent Czechoslovak Communist attacks on the Catholic Church for possible submission to the U.N. General Assembly session scheduled to begin September 21. Papanek wished to know if the United States would sponsor such an agenda item for the General Assembly or whether the United States would support a resolution on the subject sponsored by some Latin American nation (501.BB/8–349).