320.14/6–2052
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Assistant Secretary of State for United Nations Affairs (Hickerson)1
- Subject:
- Position of Administering Countries in UN General Assembly Fourth Committee
- Participants:
- Dr. J. G. de Beus—Netherlands Embassy
- Mr. John D. Hickerson—UNA
- Mr. Louis Henkin—UNP
In the course of a conversation on another subject Mr. de Beus informed me that his Government has for sometime had the feeling that [Page 1198] the situation in the United Nations in regard to the administering of non-self-governing territories is getting out of hand. In the Fourth Committee the Administering Powers were becoming “defendants” and were being attacked without reason on emotional and political grounds. The Dutch Government thought that it might be desirable to have a concerted stand by the Administering Powers. It thought that the situation could be handled if the Administering Powers got together and took the line that they would reply to reasonable criticism but not to unreasonable attacks. For this purpose Mr. de Beus stated, they had prepared a tentative unofficial working paper2 which he left with me. He hoped that we would study it and give him unofficial comments. He also mentioned the possible desirability of a written exchange of views perhaps in September before the General Assembly reconvenes.
I told Mr. de Beus that I agree that the situation he described was not good. I explained that the United States has tried to be a “middleman” between the Administering Powers and the others, although we are also an Administering Power and the object of criticism. As is often the fate of the middleman we had succeeded in becoming unpopular with both sides. I explained to Mr. de Beus that historically the United States was an ex-colony as were most Members of the United Nations. Also the American people are emotionally anti-colonial, and tend to sympathize with the underdog, witness the press reaction in this country on the Tunisia problem. In the circumstances we will probably have to continue to play the middle role, needling some Administering Powers to be more reasonable and needling some of the other countries to do the same.
I assured Mr. de Beus that his memorandum would receive careful study and that he would hear from us.