IO Files: US/A/2738
Memorandum of Instructions by the Secretary of the State to the United States Delegation
Subject: Instructions Regarding the Appointment of the UN Secretary General
Secretary Acheson said he had consulted with the President and Senator Austin with regard to the question of the Secretary General and he wanted to give the following instructions which were to be carried out. He said that the decision was to use the veto against any candidate other than Mr. Lie and to advise all concerned that this was the case. We were to pull no punches.
The Secretary had already advised the French and told the French bluntly of our position and had urged them not to support any of the other candidates but to stick to their guns and support Lie.1
The Secretary said we should advise the other Delegations and particularly Padilla Nervo. He had asked Assistant Secretary Miller to come to New York and hoped that he would help with the Latin American countries. He thought that this decision would make it unnecessary to use the veto. It was, of course, preferable to avoid actually using it.
The Secretary said that the President was determined that the Russians should not be permitted to get away with a victory in the United Nations which would prejudice our victory in Korea. He, himself, had talked to the French and also to the Brazilians. He thought Mr. Miller ought to get in touch with the Ecuadorans and the Cubans and also Padilla Nervo, himself, as well as any other Latin Americans we thought appropriate, and should make our position very clear.
- The Secretary of State spoke to Ambassador Chauvel either at the special anniversary reception or at the Secretary-General’s luncheon; accounts differ on this point.↩