Office of the Historian

795.00/9–1450

United States Delegation Minutes of the Fourth Meeting of the Foreign Ministers of France, the United Kingdom, and the United States

secret
SFM Min–4
New York, September 14, 1950—3 p. m.
[Extract]1

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Formosa

Mr. Acheson opened the discussion on Formosa by stating that the objective was to find a procedure which would minimize the different views and would avoid bringing the Formosa problem to a crisis. Perhaps in this way the crisis would never develop. One possibility would be for a friendly country to raise the question of the future of Formosa under Article 11(2) or Article 14 of the Charter. A UN committee could then be appointed to investigate the problem and make a report to the next meeting of the General Assembly. In response to questions from the other Ministers, Mr. Acheson pointed out that the United States planned to handle questions about Formosa and Korea in two ways: cases of alleged United States aggression against Formosa and Korea would be dealt with in the Security Council, while questions about the future of the two countries should be discussed in the General Assembly. If, as expected, a charge of United States aggression against Formosa is discussed in the Security Council on September 18,2 the United States plans to suggest that a commission be appointed to investigate the situation in the same way as on September 7, the United States handled the charge of the Yalu River bombing.

Mr. Bevin explained that his reservations about supporting the United States’ proposal on this question were due to a misunderstanding that the United States would attempt to postpone discussion of the subject in the Security Council. Mr. Bevin had thought that such a tactic would create an extremely difficult situation for Sir Gladwyn Jebb, President of the Security Council. Mr. Acheson’s explanation had removed any reservations he had.

As Mr. Schuman had no objections, the United States’ proposal was agreed upon by the Ministers. Mr. Bevin and Mr. Acheson also agreed on the necessity for close consultation with regard to the procedure for placing this agreed course of action into effect, since the governments [Page 501] had often agreed to a course of action and then found themselves in different positions as a result of different procedures for implementation.3

  1. The complete text of these minutes is scheduled for publication in volume iii.↩
  2. See footnote 1 to telegram 569, September 18, from New York, p. 509.↩

  3. The Tripartite Summary Minutes of this portion of the meeting read as follows:

    “II. Formosa (Agenda Item VII C)

    “7. The Ministers agreed to the following proposals put forward by Mr. Acheson for handling the question of Formosa in the United Nations:

    • “(1) A friendly state should raise the question of Formosa in the General Assembly under either Article 11.2 or Article 14.
    • “(2) A U.N. Commission on Formosa should then be appointed to study and make recommendations to the next session of the General Assembly.
    • “(3) It might also be desirable for the General Assembly to decide upon a declaration calling on all parties to refrain from any hostile action while the matter is under study.” (Lot File M–88: Box 152)

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