Office of the Historian

UNP files, lot 59 D 237, “Membership”

Memorandum of Conversation, by an Adviser of the United States Delegation to the General Assembly (Wells)

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New York, September 23, 1953.
  • Subject:
  • Membership: Peruvian Draft Resolution
  • Participants:
  • Ambassador Victor A. Belaunde, Peruvian Delegation
  • Sr. Jose Encinas, Peruvian Delegation
  • Milton K. Wells, US Mission

Late this afternoon Dr. Belaunde and Mr. Encinas had two comments to make on our re-draft of their resolution. In general, both liked our draft. However, they questioned the desirability of mentioning “Members of the Security Council” on the theory that this unduly emphasized the key role of the Permanent Members of the Security Council in the present deadlock. As Encinas commented, it would seem better to refer only to “Member States”. This, he said, would make the terms of reference more innocent looking, but just as effective. Belaunde did not comment especially on this point except to say that he supposed our intention was precisely that of emphasizing that the Committee’s principal job would be to consult with the Permanent Members of the Security Council.

Both expressed disappointment that our draft had omitted reference to consulting with applicant states. I told them that our feeling was that this language might get the Committee into other proposals not strictly related to membership as, for example, a possible proposal on the part of the USSR that if Japan would renounce its Mutual Defense Pact with the US, the USSR would not block its application. [Page 975] Belaunde seemed impressed by this line of argument and said he would think it over. In a separate conversation, Encinas expressed a decided opinion that eliminating the reference to consulting with applicant states would not remove the danger we have in mind; and that, on the other hand, it might turn out to be useful for the Committee to hear the views of the various applicant states since they have no direct way of laying their views before the General Assembly. Encinas hoped that our delegation would reconsider our objection to this language.