Office of the Historian

711.5611/5–454: Telegram

The Acting Secretary of State to the Mission at the United Nations 1

confidential
priority
Washington, May 4, 1954—8:15 p.m.

539. Re Marshallese petition on Trust Territory of Pacific Islands (urtels 655 [685] and 656 [686]). Dept agrees special Security Council note should be avoided. In Dept’s view all petitions relating to TTPI fall under para 3 of Security Council Resolution S/1280. In [Page 1482] no case in past so far as Dept aware has this para been interpreted to require that SC be notified re petitions on TTPI in advance of their consideration by Trusteeship Council. In past SC has been notified as to petitions, like other TTPI matters, in annual TC report to SC. Dept sees no reason for changing past practice and urges that SYG be asked follow it in this case also.

Murphy
  1. Drafted by Curtis C. Strong of the Office of Dependent Area Affairs (UND); cleared with the Bureau of Far Eastern Affairs (FE), the Special Assistant to the Secretary of State for Atomic Energy Matters (S/AE), and in draft with the Department of the Interior; signed by the Director of the Office of Dependent Area Affairs, O. Benjamin Gerig.↩