Office of the Historian

32/7–753

Memorandum by the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for United Nations Affairs (Sandifer) to the Secretary of State

confidential
Washington, July 14, 1953.
  • Subject:
  • Mrs. Pandit’s Candidacy for the Presidency of the 8th Regular Session of the General Assembly

Discussion:

The attached letter from Ambassador Lodge (Tab B)1 proposes that the United States actively support Mrs. Pandit’s candidacy for the presidency of the 8th Regular Session of the General Assembly. Prince Wan of Thailand, Ambassador Malik of Lebanon, and possibly Mr. Van Kleffens of the Netherlands are also candidates; moreover, this particular election is closely connected with the Security Council and other UN elections which will be held in the fall. Accordingly, no firm decision should be reached on this point except as a part of our total policy on elections.

UNA is now considering, with the other interested Bureaus, what countries we should support for all of the major UN posts and I hope to submit recommendations within a few days on the slate as a whole. However, in view of the possibility of immediate inquiry by Ambassador Lodge, the attached interim acknowledgment (Tab A) is submitted for your signature.

Recommendation:

That you sign the attached interim reply. (Tab A)2

  1. See letter of July 7, p. 472.↩

  2. In his response to Ambassador Lodge, dated July 16, Secretary Dulles said:

    “Your letter of July 7, 1953 concerning the presidency of the 8th Regular Session of the General Assembly puts forward very persuasively the considerations in favor of Mrs. Pandit. As you indicate, however, the problem of the General Assembly presidency is closely connected with the problems of other United Nations elections which will take place this fall. Accordingly, I am having our policy on the elections problem as a whole studied intensively in the Department, in all its aspects, and win communicate with you again on the subject very shortly.” (320/7–753)

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