320/12–1151: Telegram

The United States Representative at the United Nations (Austin) to the Secretary of State

confidential
priority

Delga 620. Re: UN contributions. After Committee 5 mtg today (reported unclassified summary),1 agreement reached UK and Canada under which UK resolution approving Contributions Committee report and in effect reaffirming contribution principles now outstanding should be basis for following amendments:

1.
US amendment reducing US to ⅓ current year.2
2.
Canadian amendment declaring intention to reduce US to 33⅓ 1953 financial year.

Order of voting will be US amendment, Canadian amendment and British resolution. US will vote affirmatively on US and Canadian amendments and abstain on UK resolution if amendments not adopted. Two Indian resolutions still pending as is USSR proposal to impose 10 percent rule. US vigorously opposing all three resolutions.

Adarkar3 (India) continued attacks US today. B. K. Nehru4 confirms impression Adarkar operation contrary to instructions with respect to avoiding any criticism US. Nehru hinted Delhi wld probably discipline Adarkar.

Austin
  1. Not printed. New draft resolutions had been submitted by Syria and the United Kingdom, accepting the scale of assessments submitted by the Committee on Contributions and calling for a review of that scale the following year; and by Cuba, India, Israel, Mexico, and Pakistan in a joint draft, proposing the appointment of a subcommittee to review (and probably revise) the principles and directive underlying the work of the Committee on Contributions.

    The U.S. Representative (Vorys) made another statement to the Fifth Committee on December 11, principally against the Soviet draft resolution and the joint 5-power draft resolution. He reaffirmed the U.S. request that the U.S. contribution be reduced “immediately to 33⅓ per cent.” “The United States was seeking not to save money, but solely to defend a principle.”

    For the proceedings of the Fifth Committee on December 11, see GA (VI), Fifth Committee, pp. 137–147.

  2. The United States amendment was submitted for the Fifth Committee meeting on December 12 (UN Doc. A/C.5/L.127).
  3. D. P. Adarkar was a Commercial Counselor in the Indian Diplomatic Service (posted to Bonn), member of the Delegation of India to the General Assembly, and Indian representative on the Fifth Committee.
  4. Probably R. K. Nehru, Secretary-General of the Delegation of India.