Office of the Historian

FE files, lot 55 D 388, “United Nations”

Memorandum by the United Nations Adviser, Bureau of Far Eastern Affairs (Bacon)1

confidential
[Washington,] September 29, 1953.
  • Subject:
  • Chinese Representation at this Morning’s General Assembly

UNP reports the following developments on Chinese representation at this morning’s plenary session of the General Assembly. When the report of the Credentials Committee was presented to the General Assembly, the Soviet Delegation moved that the credentials of the Chinese Delegation were invalid. (Note: UNP is vague on the precise nature of the Soviet motion.)

Mrs. Pandit ruled that she would have to consider the Soviet motion out of order in view of the decision on Chinese representation taken earlier in the session. The subject might, of course, be considered under Rule 82 which provides that when a proposal has been adopted by the GA it may not be reconsidered at the same session unless a two-thirds majority of the GA so decides. She added that, of course, her ruling could be contested. No objection to her ruling was made.

Mrs. Pandit then announced that speakers might be heard on the Credentials Report. Menon of India said that the Indian Delegation did not see how a ruling of the General Assembly adopted prior to the appointment of a Credentials Committee could bind that committee. The Indian Delegation did not regard the credentials of the National Government as valid and the Indian Delegation accordingly would not approve that part of the Credentials Committee Report relating to the Chinese credentials.

The Credentials report was then approved by a vote of 48–5–5.

(Note: Our Delegation talked with Mrs. Pandit yesterday and had received assurances from her on the handling of the Chinese representation issue when it came up this morning. Mrs. Pandit, in fact, took a firmer line in ruling the Soviet proposal out of order than did Mr. Pearson under similar circumstances at a previous session. Mr. Pearson chose to interpret the Soviet proposal as a motion to reopen the question and put the Soviet proposal to a vote.)

  1. Addressed to the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Robertson) and the Deputy Assistant Secretary (Johnson).↩