320/9–2250: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Acting Secretary of State 1
Delga 23. Jebb as SC President has set Tuesday, September 26, for next SC meeting with provisional agenda to contain complaint of aggression against Formosa, Dixon report on Kashmir and Egyptian complaint against Israel. General Committee has today recommended to GA that Soviet item including same elements as Formosa complaint be put on GA agenda. Parliamentary situation in SC is that after hour and half translation of Malik’s speech on Formosa Soviet draft resolution to hear Chinese Communists would be next order of business. Quevedo (Ecuador) confirms that he would feel impelled to vote in favor of this resolution, thereby supplying necessary seventh vote. According to our information, there would be no inclination to discuss Dixon report or Egyptian complaint.
Under these circumstances and considering the various ways in which Formosa case may develop in the GA with UK already tentatively suggesting GA commission and with at least the possibility that USSR may prefer to debate Formosan case in GA, we believe it not desirable to proceed with debate on this subject at Tuesday’s SC meeting and particularly important to avoid vote on draft resolution to seat Chinese Communists.
Therefore, our immediate objective would be to suspend discussion of Formosa item either by making or inspiring an objection to this item on SC’s provisional agenda or by motion to adjourn debate.
We would take the following line with friendly SC members in conversations and in statement at beginning of SC debate:
- 1.
- We have welcomed SC consideration of this item by voting to place it on the agenda;
- 2.
- By suggesting an investigation on the spot, we in effect proposed a commission to look into the charges;
- 3.
- Before the substance of this item has been debated or any suggestion of a commission considered in the SC, the matter was placed by the USSR on the GA agenda;
- 4.
- We have also supported its inclusion on the GA agenda;
- 5.
- Since the GA is now in session, it seems to us confusing to have the identical matter the subject of initial discussions in these two organs at the same time;
- 6.
- As the party against whom complaint is made, we are willing to have the matter discussed in either body and, as we have stated, are willing to have a commission investigate the charges;
- 7.
- It would create a confusing situation for SC to appoint a commission and have the commission empowered to investigate the very [Page 517] charges which are now before the GA while the GA is discussing these charges;
- 8.
- Although originally we proceed on the theory that the SC might consider the complaint and the Assembly the question of the future of Formosa, we see certain advantages in following the procedure of combining the two which is the practical result of the Soviet action in putting the complaint on GA agenda;
- 9.
- If the SC gets into the substance of this question, in those circumstances the GA would not under Article 12 of the Charter be able to make any recommendations.
This general line will give us time to evaluate the Soviet intentions and general atmosphere of GA approach to all aspects of Formosan problems. Perhaps in a matter of days it would become apparent that USSR does not wish to pursue case in SC, in which situation the item would remain one of which SC is seized but no meetings would be held on it. On the other hand, the case might so develop that either with or without Soviet consent we would seek the introduction by a friendly member of a resolution to remove item from SC agenda. If the GA finds itself engaged in hearing Chinese Communist representatives on this or related GA topic, any drive to pursue Formosan complaint in SC may evaporate.
- Mr. Acheson was in New York as head of the United States Delegation to the Fifth Session of the U.N. General Assembly.↩