Office of the Historian

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

Washington, June 23, 1959—7:28 p.m.

969. Mission should immediately and continuingly make clear Secretariat and friendly UN members Nosek not acceptable US as Chairman Committee One 14th GA (urdesp 11442). Mission should also take appropriate occasion inform Suslov (urtel 10703) Soviet prevention enlargement SC primary factor preventing election Soviet bloc member SC seat. There is in general agreement that, with new UN membership, opportunities for representation this and other UN bodies inadequate, particularly for Asians and Africans. To rectify situation reasonable enlargement these bodies essential. Such enlargement thus far prevented by Soviet introduction extraneous Chinese representation issue into enlargement question. If USSR continues maintain this position, needed enlargement will be deferred indefinitely. In these circumstances, US does not see how additional SC seat for Soviet bloc could be justified and Soviet position enlargement will inevitably affect present allocations of seats to Soviet bloc in other UN organs and specialized agencies. On other hand, if USSR willing accept reasonable enlargement SC and ECOSOC, US would be prepared negotiate on arrangements for fair distribution of added seats. For [Page 135] example, as US representative indicated during debate on SC enlargement at 11th GA, US prepared accept seat for Eastern Europe in any new pattern of distribution developed as result enlargement SC.

Herter
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 320.11/5–2859. Confidential. Drafted by Hartley on June 8; initialed by Sisco; cleared by Green, Bacon, Ludlow, Nunley, Kohler, and Monsma; and approved by Wilcox who signed for Herter.↩
  2. Despatch 1144, May 28, transmitted the text of a Czech note regarding Jiri Nosek’s candidacy for Chairman of the First Committee of the 14th U.N. General Assembly and Nosek’s curriculum vitae. (Ibid.)↩
  3. Telegram 1070, May 28, reported that Suslov had stated that the Soviet Union intended to gain the presidency of the 15th U.N. General Assembly for an Eastern European candidate. (Ibid., 310.5/5–2859)↩