90. Memorandum for the Record by the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (Murphy)1
Having reviewed the problem outlined in Mr. Wilcox’s attached memorandum of August 24 [26] regarding the Security Council seat to be vacated by Japan,2 Mr. Parsons concurred in the draft telegram authorizing our support of the Greek candidacy subject to the conditions outlined in that telegram. It was emphasized in our conversation that there is at the moment no active Far East candidate. Thailand is not actively seeking the seat at the present time.
I informed Mr. Parsons that there is no suggestion in the present plan of a “transfer back to Eastern Europe” of this particular seat as a permanent regional matter. It is planned that in the future this seat would be allocated to the best advantage of American policy at the time and subject to the prevailing circumstances. It is my judgment that U.S. objectives will be best served under present circumstances by support of Greece. Greece is an active candidate. USUN has recommended that we support the Greek candidacy. It is also our understanding that Britain will support Greece.
[Page 176]It was also understood that should Thailand be an active candidate for the seat next year that, in the absence of adverse considerations which conceivably might develop at that time, our hope would be to support Thailand. There is no intention in the present instance to prejudice Far East considerations in the slightest.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 330/8–2959. Confidential. Drafted by Murphy and cleared by Parsons.↩
- Not printed; it outlined the background to the election of three nonpermanent members to the U.N. Security Council, recommended that the United States support Greece to replace Japan, noted that FE disagreed with this recommendation, and forwarded telegram 156 to USUN (infra) to Murphy for signature. (ibid., IO Files: Lot 61 D 91, 14th General Assembly)↩