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

230. Memorandum of a Luncheon Conversation, White House, Washington, January 31, 1956, 1 p.m.¹

ETW MC–4

Washington, January 31, 1956, 1 p.m.

PARTICIPANTS

• US
  • President Eisenhower
  • Secretary Dulles
  • Ambassador Aldrich
  • Mr. Mac Arthur
  • Mr. Merchant
  • Mr. Allen
  • Mr. Robertson
  • Colonel Goodpaster
• UK
  • Prime Minister Eden
  • Foreign Secretary Lloyd
  • Ambassador Makins
  • Sir Harold Caccia
  • Sir Leslie Rowan

[Here follow brief opening remarks by Secretary Dulles concerning his morning meeting with Lloyd and a short discussion of Vietnam.]

Chinese Representation in the UN

President Eisenhower said that he wished to make clear the American position with reference to Chinese representation in the UN at this time. He stated that sentiment in the country and in Congress was overwhelmingly against the admission of Red China and that under present circumstances he, himself, shared this view. The Communists were still aggressors in Korea, they had tortured our prisoners, had thrown our Nationals into jail without trial and were still holding Americans in prison in violation of their commitment to release them. In international relations, the Red Chinese had violated all the decencies supposed to exist between civilized nations and so long as they remained as they were, he would be opposed to their admission to the UN. If and when they changed, he, at least, would be willing to take another look but even then he would still have a difficult public relations problem with the country at large. The American people, said the President, were deeply resentful of the 140,000 casualties suffered in Korea and he referred to Chou En-lai’s recent statement threatening to take Formosa by force, adding that if Red China were voted into the UN, it would not be thirty minutes before a resolution would be introduced upon the floor of the Senate for the US to get out… . Secretary Dulles reminded that in the past the period covered had been the calendar year. He pointed out that the 11th Session might not begin until November which would mean that sessions would be continued into 1957. He, therefore, suggested that the new moratorium cover the entire period of the session rather than the calendar year 1956 in order to avoid having to bring up the question again in the middle of the session.

President Eisenhower referred again to US opposition. He pointed out that the UN Charter required members to be “peace loving”. The Red Chinese, he said, were still branded as aggressors by UN Resolution; they still had troops in North Korea in defiance of the UN and they should not be allowed to shoot their way into membership.

. . . . . . .

[Here follows discussion of the offshore islands.]

1. Source: Department of State, Secretary’s Memoranda of Conversation: Lot 64 D 199. Secret. Drafted on February 7. This conversation was one of several held between President Eisenhower, Prime Minister Eden, and their respective delegations during Eden’s visit to Washington, January 31-February 1. The identity of the drafting officer is not indicated, but a note on the source text reads: “The attached memorandum of conversation, cleared at the Assistant Secretary of State level only is now being given restricted circulation to appropriate officials of the U.S. Government on a need to know basis.” This memorandum was also sent to the Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security Affairs, Gordon Gray, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral William Radford, and to the Embassy in the United Kingdom as well as to the White House.