Editorial Note
On December 18 the Security Council became seized of the Italian membership question, upon receiving the General Assembly’s resolution [Page 411] of December 7 (transmitted by the Secretary-General in letter of December 10 (UN Doc. S/2435, December 10)). At the same time, the Security Council adopted the provisional agenda submitted by the Council President (Quevedo), which included the general membership question. On December 19, the French Representative (Chauvel) submitted a short draft resolution, recommending the admission of Italy to membership in the United Nations. After much discussion, the Soviet Representative (Malik), following a long speech on his part, submitted a draft resolution recommending a general admission of all states which had applications pending at that time (see Paris telegram Delga 794, December 22, infra). Immediately following, the United States Representative (Gross) made a long statement, examining all aspects of the complicated situation that had arisen. Thereupon the Representative of France (Chauvel) moved an adjournment The Security Council President (Quevedo) declared that it was not parliamentarily necessary to put the motion to a vote, and in the absence of any comment, took it to be the intention and the wish of the Council to postpone discussion of the question “indefinitely”.
For the proceedings of the Security Council on December 18, see United Nations, Official Records of the Security Council, Sixth Year, 568th Meeting; for statements by the United States Representative, see pages 5–6 and 11–12. For the Council’s proceedings on December 19, see ibid., 569th Meeting; for statements by Ambassador Gross, see pages 14–15, 20, 21, and 29–32.