Office of the Historian

330/1–950: Telegram

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

secret   priority
Washington, January 12, 1950—1 p. m.

8. Reurtel 24. Further analysis by Dept of points raised in urtels 15 and 24 will fol in separate tels.

For purposes of mtg on Jan 12 however Dept agrees with your recommendations contained para 11 reftel 24, subject to fol points:

(a)
As far as question of voting on Sov res concerned, Dept believes US Rep shld exert no influence to guide SC to early vote.
(b)
We shld not support proposals along lines Chi, Indian or Brit suggestions at this time. Dept appreciates merit of objectives sought by UK proposal but sees certain difficulties which we are studying and will wish explore further with Brit.
(c)
In light importance principle that question of representation shld be decided by procedural vote, Dept believes you shld state US negative vote does not constitute veto in statement along lines set forth Deptel 4.
(d)
Dept agrees SC shld after disposition of representation question, temporarily or otherwise, proceed to consideration conventional armaments res.
(e)
Dept agrees US rep shld make statement to effect that SC can and must proceed with its normal business even though Soviet rep refuses participate. Dept assumes other dels will make similar statements.
(f)
For your info Dept is generally sympathetic to objectives of various suggestions looking toward formula under which there wld be uniformity in all UN Organs on representation question. This is problem however which has many ramifications and which cld profitably be studied in UN. Dept wld support such study and believes it wld be appropriate for IC to take it under consideration so that problem of this sort in future may be handled throughout UN in orderly manner and according to procedure laid down by GA pursuant to Art 10 of Charter.1

Acheson
  1. In its daily summary telegram for January 13 USUN reported that “USSR again walked out [of the Security Council] after rejection of Soviet move to unseat present Chinese delegation; said would not consider valid any SC decisions taken with participation of ‘Kuomintang representative’.…” (New York 32, January 13, 10:45 p. m., file 330/1–1350) For the January 13 Council proceedings, see SC, 5th yr., No. 3, pp. 1 ff. Gross spoke regarding paragraph (c) on January 12 and regarding paragraph (e) on January 13.↩