266. Editorial Note

On September 14, the Eleventh United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 1133 by a vote of 60 to 10 (the Soviet bloc and Yugoslavia) with 10 abstentions.

The text of the resolution had been under discussion for some time in the Department of State. On August 30, Assistant Secretaries Wilcox and Berding, Deputy Assistant Secretary Fred W. Jandrey, and others met with Dulles and discussed a draft of the resolution. Wilcox said there was “considerable sentiment among UN missions that it is desirable to have a resolution acceptable to the largest possible majority in the GA, even if the resolution must be ‘watered down.’” Dulles then commented “that the present draft resolution was a ‘tough one.’ After looking at last year’s resolutions on Hungary, he suggested the present draft resolution is repetitious. His concern, he said, is that a vote on the present resolution which is less than the votes on past resolutions with imply that the Special Committee’s findings on Hungary do not meet with general approval. The voting record on previous resolutions is excellent, he said, and he does not want to damage the record now by having a weaker vote on a nearly identical resolution.”

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At the close of the meeting Dulles stated that “He did not feel, however, that all human ingenuity had been exhausted in putting forward new ideas for exploiting the Hungarian issue to our advantage.” (Memorandum for the record by Toussaint (S/S) and attached draft resolution; Department of State, Central Files, 320/8–3057)

On September 3 at 10:34 a.m., Lodge and Dulles discussed the resolution and strategy in the General Assembly on the telephone:

“L read the Sec’s comments on the Hungarian resolution and agrees. He thinks we should go ahead and try for something tough. The Sec said you have to use your judgment to tailor it to get the maximum position of making it tough and getting enough votes. L thinks we should get a fairly strong resolution and then after it is introduced we will have to see—may have to modify it to get 2/3s vote—L rather modify it then rather than now.” (Memorandum of telephone conversation; Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers)

The text of the resolution, which was sponsored by 37 nations including the United States, reads as follows:

“The General Assembly,

“Recalling its resolution 1132 (XI) of 10 January 1957, establishing a Special Committee, consisting of representatives of Australia, Ceylon, Denmark, Tunisia and Uruguay, to investigate, and to establish and maintain direct observation in Hungary and elsewhere, taking testimony, collecting evidence and receiving information, as appropriate,

“Having now received the unanimous report of the Special Committee on the Problem of Hungary,

“Regretting that the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the present authorities in Hungary have failed to co-operate in any way with the Special Committee,

  • “1. Expresses its appreciation to the Special Committee for its work;
  • “2. Endorses the report of the Special Committee;
  • “3. Notes the conclusion of the Committee that the events which took place in Hungary in October and November of 1956 constituted a spontaneous national uprising;
  • “4. Finds that the conclusions reached by the Committee on the basis of its examination of all available evidence confirm that:
    • “(a) The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, in violation of the Charter of the United Nations, has deprived Hungary of its liberty and political independence and the Hungarian people of the exercise of their fundamental human rights;
    • “(b) The present Hungarian régime has been imposed on the Hungarian people by the armed intervention of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics;
    • “(c) The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics has carried out mass deportations of Hungarian citizens to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics;
    • “(d) The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics has violated its obligations under the Geneva Conventions of 1949;
    • “(e) The present authorities in Hungary have violated the human rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Treaty of Peace with Hungary;
  • “5. Condemns these acts and the continued defiance of the resolutions of the General Assembly;
  • “6. Reiterates its concern with the continuing plight of the Hungarian people;
  • “7. Considers that further efforts must be made to achieve the objectives of the United Nations in regard to Hungary in accordance with the purposes and principles of the Charter and the pertinent resolutions of the General Assembly;
  • “8. Calls upon the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the present authorities in Hungary, in view of evidence contained in the report, to desist from repressive measures against the Hungarian people, to respect the liberty and political independence of Hungary and the Hungarian people’s enjoyment of fundamental human rights and freedoms, and to ensure the return to Hungary of those Hungarian citizens who have been deported to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics;
  • “9. Requests the President of the eleventh session of the General Assembly, H.R.H. Prince Wan Waithayakon, as the General Assembly’s special representative on the Hungarian problem, to take such steps as he deems appropriate, in view of the findings of the Committee, to achieve the objectives of the United Nations in accordance with General Assembly resolutions 1004 (ES–II) of 4 November 1956, 1005 (ES–II) of 9 November 1956, 1127 (XI) of 21 November 1956, 1131 (XI) of 12 December 1956 and 1132 (XI) of 10 January 1957, to consult as appropriate with the Committee during the course of his endeavours, and to report and make recommendations as he may deem advisable to the General Assembly.
  • “10. Decides to place the Hungarian item on the provisional agenda of the twelfth session of the General Assembly.” (U.N. doc. A/3658 (A/Res/1133 (XI); printed in Department State Bulletin, September 30, 1957, pages 524–525)

A statement by Ambassador Lodge made in the General Assembly on September 10 in support of this resolution is also ibid., pages 515–524.