320/10–2050: Telegram
The Ambassador in Mexico (Thurston) to the Secretary of State
530. I discussed with Acting FonMin last night contents Department’s top secret 377, October 18.1 Tello2 stated was well acquainted [Page 154] with problem. He spontaneously informed me that the SovDel advised Padilla Nervo it would support his nomination for the Secretary Generalship but that Padilla Nervo notified Ross3 and Lie he will not permit use his name in what is obviously maneuver.
Furthermore Padilla Nervo (to whom Tello immediately telephoned in my presence) has been instructed support in General Assembly re-designation Lie as Secretary General and not to support Indian proposal.
It may be of interest to Department that Tello expressed doubt as to legality Assembly action in absence of Security ‘Council agreement but felt that possible this legal point might not prevent Assembly from extending the term of service which it originally fixed for the Secretary General. He added that Lie is not universally popular in the UN and that if this procedure is attempted there will be opposition extension his tenure for more than minimum period required to overcome present crisis—certainly for no longer than “two or three years”. Tello furthermore expressed opinion that Indian proposal if made prior to Soviet veto in Council would have possessed great merit but that having been presented after that occurrence, its acceptability and usefulness are of course impaired.
- See Deptel 2011, October 18, to London, p. 146.↩
- Manuel Tello, Mexican Under Secretary in Charge of Foreign Affairs.↩
- John C. Ross, Deputy United States Representative in the Security Council. Several memoranda of conversations between members of the U.S. Delegation and Dr. Padilla Nervo, October 19 and October 20, are not printed. (IO Files, Docs. US/A/2718, October 19; US/A/2724, October 19; US/A/2723, October 20)↩