Office of the Historian

IO Files: US(P)/A/135

Memorandum by Mr. Henry S. Villard to Mr. Donald C. Blaisdell, Both of the Advisory Staff of the United States Delegation

confidential
[Paris,] October 6, 1948.

We are faced with a difficult dilemma as to whether we should support Turkey or Egypt for the Security Council seat. In order to assist the Delegation in arriving at a decision as to which country to support, I have attempted to sum up below the various arguments in favor of either one:

Turkey

1.
Turkey has stood up well under the war of nerves to which it has been subjected by the Soviet Union.
2.
Thus far Turkey has been consistent in its support of U.S. policy and definitely looks to the United States for orientation in its foreign policy.
3.
Turkey is an integral part of our Turkish-Greek aid program, involving the highest political considerations on the part of the U.S. Government.
4.
Turkey is fully alive to the strategic importance of the eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East in general.
5.
If Turkey were elected to the Security Council its representative would undoubtedly be Selim Sarper who is an able person.
6.
Turkey’s election would eliminate the problem of one Arab State directly succeeding another on the Security Council.
7.
Turkey apparently has the support of the Middle East area, with the exception of the Arab states, and in addition that of Western Europe, the British Commonwealth and various Latin American nations.
8.
Turkey has maintained a relatively detached position on Palestine although it could not be expected to vote contrary to the interests of the Arab States.
9.
Turkey would probably be a more “reliable” member of the Security Council than Egypt on matters affecting U.S. interests.

Egypt

1.
Egypt has the unanimous support of the Arab States.
2.
Egypt has indicated a desire for U.S. support in its candidacy.
3.
Our support of Egypt or our failure to afford such support, must be carefully weighed in consideration of its effect on the Palestine problem.
4.
The attitude of Egypt and the other Arab States is of importance to us in connection with the Italian Colonies, and that attitude might be directly affected by our standpoint on the Egyptian candidacy for the Security Council.
5.
Turkey is already a member of ECOSOC and therefore does not also need to be represented on the Security Council. Egypt has promised its support of Turkey next time for the Security Council, showing that it does not desire to perpetuate indefinitely the succession of Arab States on the Security Council.
6.
For reasons of domestic prestige, Egypt is extremely anxious to obtain the Security Council seat. Considerable influence on the stability of the Government might be exerted by a successful candidacy.
7.
If elected to the Security Council, Egypt would be represented by Fawzi Bey, a spokesman for the Arab States with whom it is possible to deal on a reasonable basis.
8.
In the case of Egypt it would appear that the Government is directly interested in the seat, whereas in the case of Turkey it would appear more as if the individual concerned were interested.
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Summary of Probable Area Support

1. For Turkey: Turkey 2. For Egypt: Egypt
Greece Iraq
Iran Lebanon
Afghanistan Saudi Arabia
Ethiopia Syria
India Yemen
Pakistan