5. Editorial Note
Upon his assumption of the Presidency of the Trusteeship Council on June 8, Sears offered some brief and general remarks. He noted that “For the first time the Council would have to deal with the transition of a Territory to self-government.” He added that the Council would increasingly play a “useful role in the progress of Trust Territories towards self-government.” See U.N. doc. T/SR.611, page 2.
In telegram 52, June 13, to the United States Information Agency, John Alfred Noon, Regional Public Affairs Officer at Nairobi, expressed his concern that Sears had not qualified his references to self-government. Noon assumed that Sears had stated his personal views and wondered to what extent these reflected official policy. (Department of State, IO/ODA Files: Lot 62 D 225, U.S. Representative in Trusteeship Council) Consul John R. Barrow at Nairobi followed Noon’s lead in telegram 144, June 24, in which he criticized Sears’ statement for antagonizing local officials and raising false hopes on the part of the Africans. Like Noon, he stressed how difficult it was to explain United States policy when divergencies occurred between the Department’s and Sears’ statements. (Ibid., Central Files, 745P.02/6–2455)
[Page 9]The Director of USIA, Theodore C. Streibert, however, found Sears’ comments consistent with United States policy. (Telegram 26 to Nairobi, June 23; Ibid., IO/ODA Files: Lot 62 D 225) The response of the United Nations Delegation was similar.
William O. Hall informed the Department on June 30 that Sears’ comments had not constituted a statement of official policy. (Telegram 928 from USUN; Ibid., Central Files, 350/6-3055) Thereafter Nairobi was assured by a joint message from the Department and USIA that Sears’ statements would be “guided” by established policy. (Circular telegram 12, July 7; Ibid., 350/7–755)
Sears wrote to Barrow on July 18 that the consular reaction resulted from an inaccurate perception of what he had said. He emphasized adherence to the policy defined by the Secretary, requested the basis of Noon’s and Barrow’s reaction to his Trusteeship Council statement, and questioned why they thought he had been out of step with United States policy. (Ibid., IO/ODA Files: Lot 62 D 225)