310.2/9–154
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Deputy under Secretary of State (Murphy)1
- Subject:
- Admission of Communist China to UN
- Participants:
- Baron Silvercruys—Ambassador of Belgium
- Mr. Charles Muller, Second Secretary, Belgian Embassy
- Mr. Murphy, Deputy Under Secretary
- Mr. Key, Assistant Secretary, IO
- Mr. C. Burke Elbrick, Deputy Assistant Secretary, EUR
Mr. Murphy referred to Ambassador Silvercruys’ call on the Secretary recently at which time the Secretary had inquired concerning Belgium’s position with respect to the admission of Communist China to the UN. The Ambassador said that he had reported the Secretary’s views to Brussels and he recapitulated the various points of his conversation with the Secretary, which corresponded almost identically with the memorandum of conversation prepared in the State Department at the time of that previous visit.
Mr. Murphy said that the United States Government feels very strongly about this particular issue, and he inquired whether the Ambassador had received any reaction from Brussels following the reported conversation with the Secretary. The Ambassador said that he had not had specific instructions but that he thought he understood the thinking of the Belgian Government. Under present circumstances, and in view of the 1951 UN resolution which labeled Communist China an aggressor nation, he was sure that the Belgian Government would not agree to the admission of Communist China. He hedged somewhat, however, saying that much would depend on the type of resolution which might be presented to the General Assembly. Anyone, he said, is entitled to say anything on any subject in the General Assembly and he doubted that all discussion of this subject could be choked off. Mr. Murphy said that this was quite a different matter, and he and Mr. Key both pressed the Ambassador for a definite reply as to the Belgian attitude and the action that Belgium would take in the General Assembly on the specific issue of Communist China membership. The Ambassador said that he would inquire again of his Government and would let Mr. Key know definitely what position the Belgian Government would take.
[Page 774]In the course of the conversation the Ambassador referred to the request that he made of the Secretary for support of Belgium’s candidacy for a seat in the Security Council. Mr. Murphy said that we were considering the matter sympathetically and that he could add no more at this time to what the Secretary had already told the Ambassador.
- Drafted by the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs (Elbrick).↩