356. Telegram From the Mission to the United Nations to the Department of State1
5112. For the Secretary from Stevenson. Caradon (UK) told me this morning Stewart had instructed him by telephone to make emphatic confirmation of Caradon’s representation yesterday that UK would be deeply disappointed if President in San Francisco speech “gave away anything.”2 Urged me to request President to say in effect that GA should resume normal business and means must be found to do so during summer.
In other words UK strongly urges US to make unconditional voluntary contribution as UK has already done and leave questions of setting aside Article 19 or cancelling unpaid assessments for UNOC and UNEF for later bargaining for concessions from Soviets and France. British feel strongly that to make any concessions at this time would be a mistake.
Save for UK unanimous view expressed to USUN is that statement by President leaving no doubt US will not object to GA resuming business as usual, whatever happens during summer, would break deadlock, increase pressure on Soviets and France for large contributions, prove US determination to save UN and be widely welcomed by membership.
[Page 771]USUN believes UK position animated by desire to avoid blanketing their initiative by more dramatic US initiative. Also only pressure on Soviets that would work is Afro-Asian pressure, which would be set in motion only by US agreeing to normalization GA and in effect agreeing not raise Article 19.
USUN accordingly still urgently recommends President announce 25 million dollar voluntary contribution plus either a) support for cancelation UNOC and UNEF arrears when GA determines UN solvent (thus avoiding impairment of Article 19) or b) agreement no raise question applicability Art. 19 in language form proposed by USUN.
If deadlock not broken now, convinced we will miss chance to dissipate present depressed and anxious situation and to get universal credit for doing so. Our firm judgment is that we cannot win vote in either Committee of 33 or in GA on enforcing Art. 19 and that continuing uncertainty will not budge Soviets from their refusal to contribute voluntarily until assured that Art. 19 will not be invoked. Hence we will have to face reality later and yield on Art. 19 to get any Soviet contribution.
Therefore we repeat that we should do now what we will have to do grudgingly later, when we will derive no advantage. Further bargaining, in our judgment, would get us nowhere. Moreover, virtually whole UN membership expects us bite the bullet at San Francisco and there will be grave disappointment if President does not.
- Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Agency File, United Nations, Vol. 1. Confidential; Priority; Limdis.↩
- Reference is to the President’s June 25 address in San Francisco commemorating the 20th anniversary of the United Nations. For text, see Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: Lyndon B. Johnson, 1965, Book II, pp. 703–706.↩