IO Files
Memorandum of Conversation, by Mr. J. Jefferson Jones, III, Adviser, United States Delegation to the Trusteeship Council
US/T/136
Subject: The Ewe Problem
| Participants: | Mr. Awni Khalidy—Delegation of Iraq |
| Ambassador Francis B. Sayre—US Delegation | |
| Mr. J. Jefferson Jones, III—US Delegation |
Ambassador Sayre opened the conversation with a statement that he thought the further exchange of views between him and Mr. Khalidy might be helpful in furtherance of their efforts to work out a joint position on the Ewe problem, which might serve as the basis for a resolution to be submitted to the Trusteeship Council which Iraq and the United States might co-sponsor. Ambassador Sayre said that the United States Delegation had given further thought to the ideas advanced by Mr. Khalidy in the last conversation which they had had together, and thought that it might be possible to go along with Mr. Khalidy’s ideas, particularly his belief that the Joint Council for the two Togolands should be strengthened by empowering it to advise the two administering authorities with respect to political and educational development matters, as well as social and economic matters. Ambassador Sayre then went over briefly what in his opinion might be the most important provisions of such a resolution.
Mr. Khalidy replied that “his thoughts had crystallized” on the question since the last meeting and that he had reached the conclusion that he should abstain on such a resolution as Ambassador Sayre had described, rather than co-sponsor or support it. He thought that the failure of the Council to obtain a solution of the problem after considering [Page 598] it for four years was to be deprecated. Ambassador Sayre expressed surprise at this change of attitude, as he had thought from the last meeting that the two delegations were in substantial agreement as to the most constructive action which the Council might take under all the circumstances. He went on to say that he believed that there could be no present solution to the underlying problem which would gain the approval of the majority of the people of two territories, and that it would seem to him difficult and most unwise for the Council to attempt at this time to impose a permanent solution, particularly since, as Mr. Khalidy had agreed previously, the situation in the two trust territories was extremely fluid. Ambassador Sayre said that, so far as he could see, the establishment of a Joint Council such as that envisaged in the Anglo-French memorandum, would be the most constructive step which could now be taken, provided of course that the functions of the Joint Council were strengthened along the lines which Mr. Khalidy had suggested at their former meeting. Such a Council would furnish the means for all groups concerned to get their views before the United Nations and the world.
Mr. Khalidy said that he would have no objection to statements on the part of the French and British that no solution could be currently reached with respect to the Ewe problem under present conditions. He did resent, however, the constant efforts on the part of the British and French to stave off a final solution by current successive proposals which did not and could not solve the problem. According to Mr. Khalidy, the French administration in French Togoland was following a policy of attacking him personally as well as of criticizing the activities of the United Nations and the Trusteeship Council; and in his opinion it was high time that the two administering authorities be made to realize that they must move forward towards solving the problem or reap the consequences. He reiterated that it would be better for the Trusteeship Council to take no action at present rather than to endorse another “experiment” like that of the Consultative Commission. He considered the new Joint Council to be nothing but another “experiment”. He felt that it might be better for the Trusteeship Council to take no action other than noting the Anglo-French memorandum, leaving it to the General Assembly at its next session to decide whether or not constructive action should be taken.
Ambassador Sayre asked what kind of a joint proposal Mr. Khalidy would be willing to support. Mr. Khalidy replied that he would be glad to put his ideas in writing and give them to Ambassador Sayre at this afternoon’s session of the Council. Ambassador Sayre said that he would appreciate his doing so in order that he might obtain the Department’s opinion whether it would be better for the United States to proceed along the lines of the resolution which had previously been suggested and which Mr. Khalidy agreed not to oppose, or whether it [Page 599] would be preferable to attempt to work out some sort of different resolution which the two Delegations could co-sponsor.