320/12–853
Memorandum by the Deputy Under Secretary of State (Murphy) to the Acting Secretary of State1
- Subject:
- Request for Appointment from Dr. Van Kleffens, Candidate for President of Ninth General Assembly.
Discussion:
The Netherlands Embassy has informed the Department that Dr. Van Kleffens will be in Washington December 10 and 11 and would like to call on you. He was the Netherlands Ambassador to the United States from 1948 to 1950, and has been their Minister to Portugal since 1950. He was the Netherlands Representative on the United Nations Security Council in 1946 and 1947. A biographic report on him is attached (Tab A).2
Van Kleffens will probably wish to discuss his candidacy for the Presidency of the Ninth General Assembly. The Netherlands Delegation in New York has informed us that the UK, France and Benelux countries have agreed to support him and that it is almost certain the British Commonwealth countries will do likewise. To our knowledge there are no other candidates, although it has been rumored that Belaunde of Peru might be interested.
In October, Netherlands Foreign Minister Luns mentioned to me that there has not been a European President since Spaak was President in 1946 and remarked that the Dutch were considering proposing Van Kleffens. I replied that the Dutch should have no false modesty in pressing his candidacy and that we would like to have him.
[Page 520]We believe that Van Kleffens, who is an able man and very friendly to the United States, is qualified for the Presidency. However, we have found it desirable to avoid commitments to candidates until we can ascertain the situation which is likely to exist at the time of elections.
Recommendation:
That you receive Van Kleffens and, if he mentions his candidacy, inform him that while it is too early for us to make any commitment, we believe he would be an excellent President, that we agree it is time for a European to be elected, and that we will give the most sympathetic consideration to his candidacy.