Office of the Historian

501.BB/8–348: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Acting United States Representative at the United Nations (Jessup)

secret
Washington, August 3, 1948—9 p. m.

507 1. Urtel 964, July 29.1 Dept. is not disposed to support Arce2 candidacy for GA presidency. This position not intended as reflection on Arce or Argentina but is motivated by fact that within past year three Latin Americans—Arce, Aranha,3 and Padilla Nervo4—have presided over GA and IC, its subsidiary organ. Please inform Arce this position.

2. Dept. is considering at this time support for suitable European candidate, on ground it would be appropriate to select GA Pres. from country host to GA or one of its neighbors, preferably man fluent in French. Dept. requests you ascertain French views on question without yourself indicating any position on this matter. This would not exclude consideration other suitable candidates, such as Bech (Luxembourg).5

3. Pls. discuss this question privately with French, UK and Chinese, bearing in mind Geneva’s 917 of July 29,6 repeated to USUN, and report to Dept.

Marshall
  1. Not printed.↩
  2. Dr. José Arce, Permanent Representative of Argentina at the United Nations.↩
  3. Dr. Oswaldo Aranha, sometime head of the Brazilian Delegation to the General Assembly and President of the General Assembly.↩
  4. Dr. Luis Padilla Nervo, Permanent Representative of Mexico at the United Nations.↩
  5. Joseph Bech, Luxembourg’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and Head of the Luxembourg Delegation to the General Assembly.↩
  6. Not printed.↩