UNP Files, Lot 59 D 237, “Membership General IV (Beg. 1951)”
Memorandum by Mr. William B. Sale, Attaché of Embassy in Italy, at Paris
Subject: Italian Membership
Reference: Mr. Hyde’s Memorandum “Possible Courses of Action in Preparation for December 21 meeting with Italians”
In connection with the reference memorandum I would like to submit the following comments concerning the problem of Italy’s membership.
The Italians’ objective is to make every possible effort to obtain full membership during the present session and I am convinced that they will not be interested in giving serious consideration to any scheme for any arrangement for participation short of full membership until they are completely convinced that a real effort has been made to obtain their primary objective.
On the basis of a brief conversation with Guidotti after the SC meeting I am of the opinion that he considers the new Soviet resolution recommending the admission of thirteen applicants as a real possibility. He envisages a procedure along the following lines and has asked me informally how we could object to it, especially in light of our commitment to make every possible effort to secure their admission.
Guidotti has suggested that if the United States would abstain the Soviet resolution would pass in the Council. He has suggested that our abstention would be consistent with our policy of refusing to exercise the veto on a membership application. We might make a statement explaining our abstention on that basis. There would be no commitment on our part to support a deal to obtain General Assembly approval of any of the applicants since the Soviet resolution appears to be unconditional agreement on their part to vote favorably on all thirteen applicants before the Council. Guidotti has expressed the view that none of the Soviet applicants would obtain the approval of ⅔ of the assembly and, if we were concerned lest they might, he suggested that through our combined lobbying powers we could certainly obtain twenty votes to block favorable General Assembly action.
With respect to the consideration of the problem of Korea and Vietnam as well as future applicants whose admission would be of interest to us; after the completion of the above procedure the eight [Page 418] “good” applicants would be in the UN and the Soviet candidates would still be out, so that our bargaining position in connection with any possible future deal to admit additional candidates whom we favor would be as good or better than it is now.
I believe that in our discussions with the Italians on Friday we should be prepared, if possible, to have a frank exchange of views on the possibilities presented by the Russian resolution. If we cannot go-along with something like the above procedure, we should be prepared to present convincing reasons why it is impossible for us to do so.