Office of the Historian

123. Telegram From the Mission at the United Nations to the Department of State1

New York, September 14, 1955—1 p.m.

284. For the Acting Secretary. Suggest urgent message be sent to all our Embassies in Latin America urging our Ambassador to call on the Foreign Office to request the support of govt for our position on the Chinese representation question. So far we are unable to get [Page 303] satisfactory assurances of support from members of this group. I am meeting with them all personally Monday afternoon, but if the vote takes place Tuesday afternoon there will not be time to communicate with Latin America between Monday afternoon and Tuesday afternoon. Hope, therefore, that these approaches to the Latin American govts can be carried out immediately.

Believe there is a possibility of changed attitude on this question on the part of Asian-African nations and request that similar efforts be made in their capitals too.

In all cases the following arguments could be made at the discussion with the Ambassador:

1.
The release of the prisoners was not in any way linked to the question of admission to the UN.
2.
When someone stops committing an outrageous act which he never should have committed in the first place, there is no occasion for gratitude or a reward. In fact, some appreciation is due to nation which has always behaved itself.
3.
The ChiComs have seven hundred thousand troops in flagrant aggression in North Korea, which is the subject of an official denunciation by the UN.
4.
A salient element of US policy in the Far East is the recently concluded treaty whereby we restrained Chiang Kai-shek from any actions on the mainland.

This is sign of our moderation which is entitled to recognition and support.2

Lodge
  1. Source: Department of state, Central Files, 310.2/9–1455. Confidential; Niact.↩
  2. On September 15, the Department instructed eight Latin American posts, and Monrovia, Addis Ababa, and Tel Aviv to request their host governments’ support on Chinese representation in the United Nations. (Circular telegram 171; ibid., 320/ 9–1555)↩