310.2/7–152: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Mission at the United Nations1
2. Re UN Membership:
1. Dept supports Cambodia’s admission to UN. We wld be inclined follow Fr initiative re method of handling and we believe Fr shld make principal presentation of case. Same applies if question raised re Vietnam’s application submitted last year.
2. Fol info may be useful in supporting these applications:
- a)
- Both Cambodia and Vietnam have been recognized by over 30 states, including US.
- b)
- Both have already demonstrated desire make constructive contribution to UN efforts. Each is member of UNESCO, FAO, WHO, ITU and UPU, and is an associate member of ECAFE. Vietnam also member of ILO. In addition, both countries have made or pledged contributions to special UN programs: Vietnam to Korea, Palestine and Technical Assistance and Cambodia to Korea and Technical Assistance.
3. Dept assumes if proposal made refer these applications to Membership Comite, USSR may counter with request that cablegram from “Democratic Republic of Vietnam” of Dec 29, 1951 shld be considered by Comite. You shld oppose such move on fol grounds:
So-called “Democratic Republic of Vietnam” so obviously does not measure up to commonly accepted criteria of state that document [Page 817] purporting to apply for UN membership on behalf so-called republic shld not be sent to Membership Comite. Purported application for membership is unauthenticated cablegram. So-called republic does not even have established capital. It is simply name given by Vietminh to their armed rebellion against recognized authority. This rebellion cld be compared with dissident Huks in Philippines and Commie guerrillas in Burma.
FYI only, Vietminh has recently sent “Ambassador” to Moscow.
- Drafted by Paul W. Jones of the Office of UN Political and Security Affairs, cleared with the geographic bureaus and the Assistant Legal Adviser for UN Affairs (L/UNA), and signed by the Director of the Office of UN Political and Security Affairs.↩