237. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs (Wilcox) to the Secretary of State1
SUBJECT
- Renewal of United States Sponsorship of Japan’s Application for U.N. Membership
Discussion:
The recent agreement between Japan and the U.S.S.R. states that the “U.S.S.R. will support Japan’s request for admission to membership in the United Nations”, but this commitment does not appear to become effective until ratifications have been exchanged. We have been able to obtain no further information with respect to the extent of this commitment.
Ambassador Allison approached the Foreign Office on our instruction (Tab A)2 and was informed that subject to the report of the Japanese delegation to Moscow on its return to Tokyo, it appears unlikely that Japan will push for reconsideration of its membership application until after a special session of the Diet, convening around November 12, has ratified the agreement (Tab B).3 The Foreign Office believes that precipitous action now might result in another Soviet veto. This belief on the part of the Foreign Office, together with the possibility, which cannot be precluded on the basis of our present information, that the U.S.S.R. may again try to tie in some manner the admission of Japan with that of Outer Mongolia, makes undesirable any U.S. initiative on this matter until Japan desires it. Otherwise if such an initiative resulted in another Soviet veto, the Japanese might be encouraged to shift to the United States the onus for their continued exclusion from the U.N.
The Foreign Office has also informed Ambassador Allison that it is thinking in terms of a broad co-sponsorship of Japan’s application, which would include Australia, Iran, Peru, the United Kingdom, and the United States, and asked what the U.S. reaction would be to the inclusion of the U.S.S.R. if the latter so desired. Ambassador Allison on his own volition had the Foreign Office [Page 476] informed that we would consider Soviet co-sponsorship “an insult after all that has transpired.” I nevertheless believe that we should be prepared to accept Soviet co-sponsorship if this is necessary to ensure favorable Security Council action on the Japanese application.
Mr. Robertson, when he sees Premier Hatoyama in New York on October 25 and 26, will reaffirm the United States strong support of Japan’s membership application. He will also express the Department’s continuing desire to be of assistance and willingness to request Security Council reconsideration of the Japanese application whenever Japan so desires.
Recommendation:
That the Department stand ready to initiate, alone or with others, a request for Security Council reconsideration of the Japanese application but continue to be guided by Japanese wishes with respect to the timing of such a request and with respect to co-sponsorship in addition to the United States.4
- Source: Department of State, 310.2/10-2656. Secret. Drafted by Virginia F. Hartley. Approved by FE and EUR. A notation on the source text indicates that this memorandum was also approved by Secretary Dulles.↩
- Reference is to telegram 876 to Tokyo, October 23. (Ibid., 310.2/10–2356)↩
- Reference is to telegram 945 from Tokyo, October 24. (Ibid., 310.2/10–2456)↩
- In a memorandum to Secretary Dulles, October 30, reporting on discussions in New York with Prime Minister Hatoyama and other Japanese officials on October 26, Robertson stated that the Japanese had “confirmed our fears” that Japan “obtained little in the way of concessions in their negotiations with the Russians. They hope that the Russians will support their application for UN membership. However, they are uneasy due to the fact that the Russians refused to use the word ‘unconditional’ in describing their support. For this reason the Japanese do not wish to have the question of their admission broached prior to ratification of the Joint Declaration. I assured the Prime Minister that the United States wished to extend all possible help and that Ambassador Lodge would keep in touch with the official Japanese Observer Mr. Kase as to how the Japanese thought we could be most useful.” (Ibid., 310.2/ 10–3056)↩