Office of the Historian

320/10–1052: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Embassy in France1

secret
Washington, October 10, 1952—7:37 p.m.

2082. Re Tunisia and Morocco. Dept has urgent need for specific info on tactics Fr and UK propose fol re these items in Gen Comite which now sched meet Oct 14 or 15 and subsequently in Polit Comite. We are frankly confused about Fr handling Tunisian item and ignorant their plans for handling Moroccan item. If we are to be able to help Fr we must know line they propose to take soonest. Specifically we must know nature of substantive arguments Fr expected make and whether UK will support also nature and timing of Fr and/or UK arguments on inscription and competence. Re competence do Fr and/or UK wish invite what wld probable by adverse GA vote on issue? Do they want ref to ICJ? Or do they merely plan state their view on competence and reserve position thereon?

Dept notes that if Fr raise competence issue in Gen Comite in more than perfunctory fashion, this wld not contribute to fulfillment Fr hope that ques of inscription “be dealt with as quietly as possible” (Embtel 2133).2

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You shld make continuing efforts obtain details from FonOffs and Fr-UK Dels.3

Acheson
  1. This telegram was drafted by Elting (UNP) and cleared in the offices of Hickerson (UNA), McBride (WE), Utter (AF), and, in draft, Pollak (S/A). It was repeated to London and USUN.↩
  2. Oct. 8; not printed. A Foreign Ministry official informed the Embassy Schuman still intended to make a vigorous defense of French conduct in North Africa in the First Committee, and now had the authority to do so under the Cabinet decision. (320/10–852)↩
  3. Telegram 2156 from London, Oct. 13, reported the Foreign Office said the British inclination was to avoid debate in the General Committee, but it considered the question of competence so important that it would have to be debated sometime. The United Kingdom believed it was the French intent to debate competence on the Tunisian question and had decided to support the French all along the line. (320/10–1352) Information on the French position was transmitted in telegram 2267 from Paris, Oct. 13, infra.↩