228. Telegram From the Delegation at the North Atlantic Council Meetings to the Department of State1
Secto 11. At my request Canadian Foreign Minister Pearson called at Embassy residence yesterday morning. Conversation lasting half-hour devoted exclusively to discussion and clarification of recent Canadian initiative in UN re membership.
Saying that I had asked to see him for purpose of clearing up matter which had been source of irritation and some bitterness in US-Canadian relations, I outlined at some length basis for unfavorable view US took of Outer Mongolia’s candidacy for membership. I [Page 462] said that Soviets had violated 1945 agreements with China and that its action had been condemned by the UN. Never had there been a more perfidious action on the part of the Soviets, and, in formulating their 18-member package deal, the Canadians had asked the UN to put the seal of approval on this perfidy. I said Canadian proposal had been made without adequate consultation with the US and had put us in an awkward and embarrassing position. I reminded him that when I had spoken to Molotov in Geneva on this subject he had replied that USSR was only “supporting the Canadian resolution” on membership.
Pearson thought Canadians had taken care to consult us. He cited speech he had made in Parliament some months ago in which he declared if admission of Outer Mongolia price that had to be paid for admission other eligible countries he thought price not too high. Canada had all along Outer Mongolia in mind as part of package deal and he believed State Department had been kept currently informed, as had USUN Delegation. Martin of Canadian UN Delegation had done no more nor less than carry out policy of his government and Pearson had no complaints re his tactics. He conceded that if they had known how strongly we felt on question they might not have been so active. Pearson said he particularly resented reports he had made deal with Molotov while in Moscow and denied it emphatically.
I said that Under Secretary Hoover and I are readily accessible to Canadian Ambassador on matters of such importance as this. Pearson said he appreciated this. While not apologizing for Canada’s action he said that henceforth Canada would not fail to exchange views on all important matters at a high level and he expressed hope misunderstandings such as this would not recur.2
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 310.2/12–1755. Secret; Limit Distribution. Repeated to Ottawa.↩
- Upon Secretary Dulles’ return to Washington, Canadian Ambassador Arnold D.P. Heeney called on December 21 at his request to state that both he and Pearson now believed that the membership issue that had divided the two countries was closed and that both countries had learned a lesson on the need for closer cooperation. Dulles agreed and the two men then turned to a discussion of other matters. Attached to the memorandum of this conversation, however, is a Canadian document which, according to the memorandum of conversation, Heeney had left with Livingston Merchant the day before, December 20, containing a summary of all dates and circumstances of Canadian consultation with the Department of State on the matter of the membership “package deal.” (Ibid., Secretary’s Memoranda of Conversation: Lot 64 D 199)↩