IO Files: US/A/2737
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Deputy United States Representative on the Security Council (Ross)
| Participants: | Ambassador Jean Chauvel, French Delegation |
| Mr. John C. Ross, United States Delegation |
At 5:30 this evening, after the sponsors’ meeting on the Soviet item, Ambassador Chauvel took me aside on the Secretary-General matter [Page 161] and said the Secretary of State had spoken to him about this at Trygve Lie’s luncheon. He said he had told the Secretary that he had requested instructions from his Government on the question of how France would vote, and that he had promised to let the Secretary know when he had received his instructions. He said that upon returning to New York he found his instructions waiting for him and they were to abstain on any candidate other than Lie who did not have the support of the five permanent Members.1
Chauvel went on to say that he contemplated saying tomorrow that the French Delegation would favor a candidate agreed upon by the five permanent Members if it had been possible for the five so to agree. The effort had been made to reach agreement among the five on an alternative candidate. This effort had been unsuccessful. In the circumstances the French Delegation did not see that any useful purpose would be served by putting forth nominations. If, however, nominations were put forward, France would abstain.
I thanked Ambassador Chauvel for this information and said that it would be transmitted to the Secretary of State.
- In top secret niact telegram 2226, October 24, 9 p. m., received in the Department at 3:36 p. m., October 24, and relayed to USUN at 4:15 p. m., the Embassy in France reported the French Foreign Ministry decision as follows: “… Chauvel being instructed to vote for Lie as well as for any candidate having support five permanent members Security Council but to abstain on any other candidate.” (330/10–2450)↩