18. Telegram From the Department of State to the Mission at the United Nations1
Gadel 39. Re Delga 78, October 11. Dept has no objection scheduling debate Charter review item October 20 or 21 as UK desires provided agreement on appropriate Committee composition [Page 33] and sponsorship can be reached with UK and provided necessary preparatory work obtain maximum favorable vote agreed US-UK draft resolution can be accomplished within this short time.
Re composition Committee: 1) Dept strongly prefers Netherlands to Belgium and not prepared agree latter which completely negative Charter review. In context UK Committee 15, with Belgian membership Committee would have six members opposed Charter review, five in favor, and four moderates. 2) Dept does not, consider 17 more unwieldly group than 15 and continues believe Turkey or Greece, Burma or Indonesia, should be included. India not considered representative Far Eastern states and Dept sees no basis view inclusion Turkey or Greece, and particularly former, would be “resented as effort pack Committee with Europeans”. Dept’s slate, not counting five permanent members SC, would consist two Far Eastern, two Middle Eastern, one Balkan, three European, one Commonwealth, three Latin American, and our view represents proper geographic balance.
Re sponsorship: Dept cannot see any rationale justify cosponsorship US-UK alone resolution clearly concerning entire UN membership, and believes such limited sponsorship would prove counterproductive. Nor can Dept see any insuperable difficulties keeping strict control resolution if appropriate number geographically representative sponsors added US, UK. View its announced opposition Charter review, would not anticipate Indian insistence co-sponsor. However, order avoid this issue, proposed Committee membership could be disregarded and limited number geographically representative countries approached basis general reliability and interest Charter review.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 310.1/10–1155. Confidential. Signed by Wilcox for the Secretary.↩