Foreign Relations of the United States, 1950, The United Nations; The Western Hemisphere, Volume II

IO Files: US/A/C.1/1915

Memorandum of Conversation, by Mr. John Foster Dulles of the United States Delegation

confidential

[New York,] September 27, 1950.

I spoke to Ambassador Chauvel at 11:00 a. m. in the Delegates’ Lounge today. Chauvel said that he had expected this matter to be discussed by M. Schuman with Mr. Acheson, but they had not gotten to it.¹ France was not favorably disposed. They felt our proposal was unconstitutional, usurping Security Council authority.

1. He accepted the 24 hour special Assembly on call of 7 members of the Security Council, but not of a majority of the Members.

2. He saw no particular difficulty in Part B.

3. He doubted the whole idea of C, as being a matter to be dealt with by the Security Council under Article 43. Also, practically, if it was hard to create a collective force for 12, could it be done for 59 nations?

He would translate our text, study it and discuss further in a few days. Meanwhile, he would like a memorandum from us,² which I offered on the constitutional question.

1. That is, in the September 18–19 pre-General Assembly meetings of the Secretary of State with the British and French Foreign Ministers.
2. Infra.