78. Telegram From the Mission at the United Nations to the Department of State1
1179. Reference: 15th GA Presidency. There is every reason expect USSR planning major campaign on behalf Nosek (Czechoslovakia) for Presidency 15th GA. As we reported yesterday,2Nosek and Magheru (Romania) have both called on Boland (Ireland) in apparent effort feel him out re possibility his candidacy next year.
Cordier (Secretariat) has told US more than once he and SYG both feel sooner or later GA presidency will have to go to Eastern European and have made clear their opinion the sooner the better. It equally clear this is no off-hand view of theirs. On contrary they both, as far as we can judge, seem convinced UN would gain by making this gesture to Communist bloc. We have at every opportunity told them we do not agree and have argued that to elect Communist President of GA serious effect as far as US opinion toward UN was concerned. We have no reason, however, to think we have converted them to our view.
It generally assumed here 1960 will be year for European have GA Presidency. Since this so and in view of what we expect to be strong campaign for Nosek, favorable attitude of Hammarskjold and Cordier can easily be enough to build up irresistible trend in favor Nosek unless we do something soon to check it.
Our best bet by far to accomplish this is for Boland to put himself in position as acknowledged rival to Nosek.
Whenever European President is discussed here, Boland’s name almost invariably heads list. He is first-class parliamentarian, is widely respected, commands support among all major groupings, and is undoubtedly pro-Western.
[Page 136]Only impediment his candidacy from US point of view as far as we know, is Ireland’s position on ChiRep question. However, Boland had made it clear more than once to US—and he repeated this in strong terms yesterday—he does not agree with FonMinAiken’s approach to ChiRep question and plans do everything he can to get it modified. But even if he should not be successful, we have little doubt we would get assurance from him he would be “impartial on our side” in presiding over general comite and GA whenever issue was raised.
I therefore recommend: (1) we be authorized tell Hammarskjold and Cordier US definitely and officially opposed to election of Communist as President of 15th GA and (2) we be authorized make it known to Irish, SYG and other friendly delegations that if Boland is European choice for President in 1960, US would support him. I fear that only by coming out in this way at this early date do we have reasonably good chance of stopping Nosek without lot of blood on floor.