Foreign Relations of the United States, 1950, Korea, Volume VII

795.00/7–1850

Memorandum of Conversation, by Mr. James N. Hyde of the United States Mission at the United Nations¹

[Extract]

secret

[New York,] July 18, 1950.

Subject:

1. Korea

2. Appointment of a Secretary-General

3. General Assembly

Participants:	Mr. John W. Holmes, Canadian Delegation
	Mr. Pierre Ordonneau, French Delegation
	Mr. John C. Ross, United States Mission
	Mr. James N. Hyde, United States Mission

Holmes and Ordonneau had lunch with us at our request and we covered the following topics:

1. Korea: They were both concerned and unhappy about the Secretary-General’s recent circular on military and other assistance. They had not been consulted about it in advance. Holmes stated that the first word his Office of External Affairs had was when correspondents came asking comments. Ordonneau shared this view and added that it would prove an even greater mistake if there is not widespread response. He added that it was a source of embarrassment to many governments, including his own, to know how to answer and that a good many governments might adopt the policy of no answer at all. He thought that this represented Lie taking a very serious and unwise step on his own responsibility. So far as troops are concerned, he said that any French troops would have to come from Indochina, which would simply weaken things there. The Benelux countries will meet to consider this question on July 20th.

As further evidence of Lie’s questionable initiative, both men were critical of him sending Colonel Katzin as his personal representative. They wondered what the significance of this was and were doubtful of this personal diplomacy. Ross stated that he saw the mission of Colonel Katzin as simply strengthening the Secretariat support for the Commission at a critical time. Holmes wondered what use the military observers would be in Korea now, adding that there were two Canadian observers at Lake Success. There was some agreement that these observers in Korea might perform the function of military advisers to the Commission, especially in the preparation of its report.

Ross thought that the next meeting of the Security Council might well be for the purpose of receiving the report of the Unified Command, and his suggestion that atrocities in Korea might be considered seemed acceptable.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

J. N. Hyde

1. The source text is a copy of a document in the IO Files, Department of State, bearing the designations US/S/1331 and US/A/2351, and the date July 19, 1950.