320/12–154
No. 418
Memorandum of Telephone
Conversation, by the Secretary of State
Memorandum of Telephone Conversation With Ambassador Lodge November 30, 8 p.m.
I told Ambassador Lodge that I felt we had to do something in the United Nations with reference to the detention of our flyers. Ambassador Lodge expressed some dismay at this, indicating his desire to get the General Assembly quickly adjourned. He said this would be an interminable proceeding in the Assembly. I said we might move in the Security Council. He thought this would be all right, particularly if we did so after the Assembly had first adjourned.
I said that in view of the position that the Government was taking, namely that we were inhibited from direct action until collective possibilities had been exhausted, I felt that we had to put it up to the United Nations in some form as to whether or not they wanted to move or whether they wanted to treat any collective remedial measures as futile, in which case we might have to assume independence of action. I said I felt that this would be so serious from the standpoint of the future of the United Nations that members would consider seriously trying to take some United Nations action, especially since the particular incident related to the United Nations’ activities.
- Initialed for Dulles by O’Connor.↩