501.BB/9–846: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Belgium (Kirk)
1018. Urtel 1157 September 8.4 Please inform Belgian Govt we hope they will submit draft trusteeship agreement for Ruanda-Urundi to GA without mention of any specific Members as “states directly concerned”. We believe requirements of Article 79 will be fulfilled if Belgium informs GA it has consulted with all Members particularly interested in Ruanda-Urundi and given full consideration to their views. If Belgium insists on naming UK and France as “states directly concerned” this may precipitate a succession of claims by other Members to be so considered and thus delay approval of trusteeship agreement.5
We appreciate favorable consideration given by Belgian Govt to our suggested revisions and are reviewing points not agreed upon in Villard conversations. We would be glad to accept Belgian suggestion of informal meeting with Brit and French in New York during week prior to GA.6
- The conversations on the technical level at Brussels, projected originally for June at the time of Gerig talks with the British and French experts, took place on September 6 between the Deputy Director of the Office of Near Eastern and African Affairs (Villard) and representatives of the Belgian Foreign and Colonial Offices. This telegram was in response to Brussels telegram 1157, September 8, summarizing the discussion (501.BB/9–846). Minutes of the meeting were transmitted to the Department under Brussels despatch No. 458, September 8, not printed (862S.01/9–846).↩
- Villard had reported in telegram 1157 that “Belgians agreed submit alone to Assembly unsigned document containing trusteeship terms for Ruanda Urundi stating document has been agreed to by French British [sic] as state directly concerned in any event and that US (and possibly France) have been consulted as particularly interested powers. They feel bound to reach prior accord with Great Britain by exchange of communications as in technical conformity with Article 79 of Charter but are prepared to state this arrangement is without prejudice to final determination of States directly concerned.” It is clear from the minutes of the meeting that the French should not have been named in this telegram along with the British as a state directly concerned. Mr. Hiss however did not have the minutes of the meeting available when this telegram was drafted, hence the confusion apparent in the text.↩
- Villard had reported in the telegram under reference that the chief Belgian spokesman, Mr. Walter Loridan, Chef de Cabinet of the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, “appeared well versed and several times questioned my statement as to British and French approval of certain articles indicating he has had more recent contact than we with interested French and British officials. He suggested informal meeting New York or Washington with British, French and ourselves prior to submission agreement to General Assembly to establish uniformity which he deems indispensable.”↩