Editorial Note
USUN telegram Delga 228, November 20, reported that the French Delegation had received instructions from Paris to absent itself from Committee I discussions on Tunisia and Morocco. The French Representative intended to so inform the Brazilian Representative that afternoon and confirmed to the United States Representative that the Brazilians categorically refused to introduce their resolution in the absence of the French. (320/11–2052) A memorandum for the record by Ridgway B. Knight, dated November 21, said he had suggested to Ambassador Jessup on the telephone that he try to convince the Brazilians to introduce their resolution regardless of French actions. Knight also suggested to Byington in New York that if the Brazilians would not change their position he might discreetly check the possibility of having another delegation introduce a moderate resolution. (772.00/112152) By December 5, the day after the Pakistani Representative had presented the Arab-Asian resolution on Tunisia in Committee I, two members of the French Delegation informed Ambassador Jessup and other members of the United States Delegation that they had been successful in gaining support of most Latin American delegations for the Brazilian resolution, which was going to be introduced even without French participation in the committee. The participants at the meeting discussed the timing of the Brazilian resolution and decided it should be introduced on December 8, before Ambassador Jessup spoke in the Committee I debate. He would then be able to support it in his speech. (Memorandum of conversation, December 5; S/A–Jessup files, lot 53 D 65, “Tunisia, Memoranda of conversation”) The text of the Brazilian resolution, transmitted in USUN telegram Delga 336, December 6 (320/12–652), called for Franco-Tunisian talks on an urgent basis to promote self-government for Tunisia and expressed confidence that France would work to that end. It was introduced by the Brazilian Representative on December 8 and was cosponsored by [Page 849] Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Venezuela.