Office of the Historian

53. Telegram From the Department of State to the Mission at the United Nations1

Washington, December 8, 1958—1:23 p.m.

530. After carefully weighing all factors and with every desire to cooperate with French, in absence convincing reasons Department sees no grounds on which we can comply with formal French request made earlier and repeated by Alphand December 52 that US abstain on SC resolution recommending Guinea’s admission. We are so informing French.3 We understand UKGADel being instructed vote affirmatively on assumption Ghana supporting Guinea application and in absence unexpected developments. Dept has been informed Canadians will vote affirmatively. You therefore authorized vote affirmatively but not sponsor or solicit support for resolution recommending Guinea admission. Should situation respect Guinea admission change materially including attitude Ghana Del, Mission should inform Dept soonest so that we can give further consideration this matter. Assume sponsorship question being satisfactorily resolved along lines outlined Delga 6254 or some comparable basis. Should question Soviet sponsorship arise, inform Dept urgently. In event [Page 88] French prefer hold off GA action until closing days of sessions, Del should acquiesce if this will not give rise any misunderstanding.

Draft of brief SC statement in following message.5

Herter
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 330/12–858. Confidential; Priority. Drafted by Hartley on December 6; cleared by Calhoun, Walmsley, Ferguson, Murphy, Jandrey, and Bacon; and approved by Herter. Repeated to Accra, London, Monrovia, Paris, and Dakar.↩
  2. Telegram 2073 to Paris, December 9, transmitted the substance of Alphand’s conversation with Merchant. (ibid., 330/12–558)↩
  3. Herter telephoned Alphand at 11:45 a.m., December 8, to inform him of the U.S. decision. A memorandum of their conversation is in Eisenhower Library, Herter Papers, CAH Telephone Calls, 10/1/58 to 12/31/58.↩
  4. Delga 625, December 4, reviewed other members’ positions on Guinea’s application for U.N. membership and noted that the Afro-Asian group had decided Japan and Iraq would sponsor Guinea. (Department of State, Central Files, 330/12–458)↩
  5. The draft statement was transmitted to USUN in telegram 529, December 8. (ibid., 330/12–858)↩