UNP files, lot 59 D 237, “Membership”
Memorandum of Separate Conversations, by an Adviser of the United States Delegation to the General Assembly (Allen)
- Subject:
- New Soviet Proposal on Membership
| Participants: | Minister Hergel, Denmark | } | Separate conversations |
| Governor Byrnes, US | |||
| Ambassador Hans Engen, Norway | |||
| Mr. W. P. Allen, US |
According to the Danish and Norwegian representatives, the Scandinavian group finds the new Soviet proposal smaller package deal somewhat less attractive than the original proposal of fourteen. They have requested instructions from their respective governments, but the tenor of the conversation made it clear that they are disposed to abstain on this proposal if it comes to a vote. Minister Hergel stated that he had approached Ambassador Malik (USSR) yesterday to inquire whether the new proposal for the admission of five is an addition to or in place of the previous Soviet proposal for simultaneous admission of fourteen. Although Ambassador Malik then replied that the USSR would not “insist” on pressing their fourteen-nation proposal to a vote, Minister Hergel has since heard that the Soviets intend to request a vote on both proposals.
Both Norwegian and Danish representatives advanced the idea that it might be desirable to avoid a vote on either of the Soviet proposals and raised the possibility as to whether, following the expected passage of the Peruvian resolution to set up a negotiating committee, some delegate might move that the two Soviet package proposals not be voted upon. Both representatives thought if this were done they would be able to persuade their delegations to vote for it. Governor Byrnes advised Minister Hergel that such a proposal would be satisfactory to the US and consistent with his speech, and that if it were made the US would vote for it.