FE files, lot 55 D 388, “United Nations”
Memorandum by the United Nations Adviser, Bureau of Far Eastern Affairs (Bacon), to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Johnson)
- Subject:
- Reopening of UN Membership Question
An informal report has been received from USUN that the French delegate’s instructions on the UN membership question have been changed. The French are now to favor the working out of some package arrangement with the USSR.
Senator Lodge is understood to be at least open-minded on the problem and is preparing a letter to the Secretary requesting that the Department review the whole question. It is anticipated that the letter will reach the Department Tuesday morning. The question of membership will accordingly become again a matter of intensive study in the Department within the next few days. Secretary Dulles, in his book on U.S. foreign policy, favored the general concept of universality so there is some feeling that he too may be inclined toward a fresh approach to the membership question.
In commenting on the changed French instructions, one of the UK delegates made a remark to the effect that the French had in mind the seating of the Chinese Communists.
Comment: The membership question is being precipitated at this time in part because the special committee which was appointed by the GA last Fall to seek a solution to the membership deadlock is soon to begin active discussions in New York. While discussion of package proposals would have no part in the comparatively abstract discussions [Page 941] of the committee, national policies with respect to a package proposal will be reflected indirectly. Thus, for example, if this Government is contemplating abandoning opposition to package proposals, our representative in the committee will naturally dwell more on the benefits of universality and the need for a less rigid interpretation of Article IV of the Charter than upon the necessity for considering each application individually without reference to any other considerations.
I have long been of the view that a solution of the membership problem must be based upon some kind of a package arrangement although it may be dressed up in various ways—barring, of course, a complete change in East-West relations. I feel uneasy, however, about possible political implications of a change in position at the present moment. It seems entirely possible that an effort will be made to bring in the Chinese representation question as a balancing factor in some manner.
The British comment on French intentions, while possibly lightly made and with political motivations not entirely clear, suggests the possibility of a tie-in in the French mind between the Chinese representation question and the Indochinese situation. If the Chinese Communists were to recognize the UK in the near future—a possibility which CA has had in mind for some time—this gesture while inexpensive to the Chinese Communists might have serious consequences in under-mining British resistance to the seating of the Chinese Communists. While we have clearly got to face this situation if a truce is reached there are certain disadvantages in reaching this point at this time.
Full study of the subject will, however, have to await Senator Lodge’s letter and intensive consideration of whether (a) a reasonable package arrangement can be worked out and (b) whether we can indicate decisively to the British and the French that in working along these lines with them we shall expect that they will stand firm on the Chinese representation issue.