Foreign Relations of the United States, 1955–1957, United Nations and General International Matters, Volume XI

113. Telegram From the Embassy in Ceylon to the Department of State¹

Colombo, July 22, 1955—6 p.m.

27. Reference Embtels 419, June 15, 19, July 18 and Embassy despatch 665, June 16.²

GOC Prime Minister has received letter from Nehru in response Kotelawala letter Prime Minister Sastroamidjojo of Indonesia dated June 6, copies of which sent other Bandung Conference heads of government re UN membership for countries enumerated Bandung resolution. Letter states verbatim: “The Soviet Government expressed their willingness to support the admission of all countries which are qualified for membership. When I asked them to name these countries they mentioned all the Bandung countries in addition to a number of others. Thus there was no opposition on their part to any country.

“Difficulties are likely to arise when a limited list of the countries is made and all the countries that are qualified are not put in the same list.” PermSec Foreign Office who communicated Embassy foregoing stated last para was observation added by Nehru which Indian Prime Minister did not directly attribute Russians.

Indian High Commissioner informed me yesterday of despatch Nehru’s letter to Kotelawala, but did not mention last para.

Local press has reported that Soviets would not oppose admission UN any of Bandung powers but noted this probably on condition USSR satellites also included.

Crowe

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 310.2/7–2255. Confidential; Priority. Repeated to London and New Delhi.
2. Telegram 419 from Colombo, June 15, summarized the contents of a letter that Ceylonese Prime Minister Kotelawala sent on June 6 to Indonesian Prime Minister Sastroamidjojo calling for action to implement the resolution adopted at the Bandung Conference on membership in the United Nations for the seven Afro-Asian countries. The letter stressed, in part, that (1) the seven countries were being kept out of the United Nations by the vagaries of the cold war and not because of any intrinsic lack of eligibility, (2) the June 2 Soviet-Yugoslav declaration inferred no further Soviet vetos of the admission of new Afro-Asian members, and (3) while other countries might also be qualified for U.N. membership the seven mentioned in the Bandung resolution should be considered first because of the merit of their case. (Ibid., 310.2/ 6–1555) Despatch 665 from Colombo, June 16, transmitted the text of the above letter. (Ibid., 310.2/6–1655) Telegram 19 from Colombo, July 18, noted the dispatch of a similar letter from Prime Minister Kotelawala to Prime Minister Eden of the United Kingdom. (Ibid., 396.1 GE/7–1855)