772.00/6–2452
Memorandum of Conversation, by Robert McBride Office of Western European Affairs
Subject:
- UNGA Special Session on Tunisia.
Participants:
- M. Daridan, Chargéd’Affaires, French Embassy
- M. van Laethem, French Embassy
- Mr. Bonbright—EUR
- Mr. McBride—WE
M. Daridan called at his request to discuss the action of the Arab-Asian bloc in asking for a special UN General Assembly session on the Tunisian problem.1 He said that many states were delaying their replies to the Secretary General’s letter pending the US reply. He added this was especially true of the Latin American nations. He said that France had presented a good program and deserved assistance in the Tunisian question. He noted that the Tunisian nationalists had denounced the program even though they had not yet seen the text. He felt that UN action at this time was particularly inappropriate since the French had just presented a program.
M. Daridan stated that his Government wished to ask our assistance in forestalling this special session by letting the other governments know our attitude promptly. Mr. Bonbright stated that we had already gone part way in this connection by sending out a circular to our Embassies informing them that we were opposed to a special session and that they might so state if queried.2 M. Daridan expressed the hope that we would be able to publicize this position in order to achieve the maximum utility therefrom. Mr. Bonbright indicated that he felt our position would probably become known anyway but that he would look into the question to see if anything could be done.
M. Daridan stated that what we had done thus far only went part way and that Paris appeared to take great stock by this point of our advertising our position. M. van Laethem added that it seemed particularly important for us to make our position known unequivocally [Page 782] in the immediate future in order that our press and public opinion might not once again conclude that the Department’s position was vacillating. Mr. Bonbright promised once again to look into the matter on an urgent basis.
- USUN telegram 962, June 20, informed the Department of State that the Secretary-General had received a request for a special session of the General Assembly on Tunisia, signed by 13 Arab-Asian countries. A UN cable was to be dispatched that night to the rest of the UN membership, asking if they supported that request. (772.00/6–2052) Copies of the Arab-Asian letters requesting the special session are in the background book on Tunisia, IO files, lot 71 D 440, “7th GA, Tunisia.”↩
- Circular telegram 1052, June 23, informed the Embassies that the United States did not intend to concur in the request for a special session. If questioned, Embassy personnel were instructed to inform the Foreign Office that the U.S. position on Tunisia continued to be based on the hope that the problem would be solved in the near future by a reform program mutually satisfactory to both French and Tunisians. (772.00/6–2352)↩