501.BB/10–849: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the United States Representative at the United Nations (Austin)
Gadel 45. After considering developments to date on Itcols and proposals suggested in Delgas 741 and 75,2 Dept agrees it is desirable US submit single resolution on all Itcols in Comite I in order have sub-committee use our resolution as basis its discussion. This procedure advisable since Soviet resolution must be rejected altogether and other draft resolutions presented by Iraq, India and Liberia would have to be drastically amended to make them acceptable.
[Page 592]Draft resolution in Delga 75 can be submitted as working paper with fol modifications:
- 1)
- In para A 1 change words “Libya be granted independence” to “Libya become independent”. Revised wording might be more acceptable Arabs with explanation that GA is now granting Libya independence which will become effective three years from now.
- 2)
- In para A 1 (A) change “shall continue their present administrations” to “shall administer them” in order avoid implication of continuation of present caretaker admins and to allow Brit and Fr to institute reforms.
- 3)
- In para A 1 (B) insert “meet and” before “consult together” in order to insure that representatives will come together to determine form of govt.
- 4)
- In para A 1 (B) change phrase “determine the form of association” to “determine the form of government”. Other part of resolution refers to “government for an independent Libya” so it wld be better to use “government” in this para and thus strengthen idea of unity of Libya, which Arabs will demand in any case.
- 5)
- In para B 1 change “re-united” to “united” in order avoid unnecessary disputes in Comite.
- 6)
- Delete whole of para B 7 which wld refer boundary problems of Eritrea to IC. This unnecessary since para B 5 establishes procedure for demarcating boundary between Ethiopia and Western Province and govts concerned are to report to GA on matter in any event.
- 7)
- In para C 2 delete “at the next session” to allow TC to consider matter at its next two sessions in Jan and June, 1950.
- 8)
- In para C delete “toward self-government” since independence is mentioned in following para.
- 9)
- In para C 3 Dept doubts advisability having TC fix boundaries Ital Somaliland and recommends those boundaries be settled by Comm consisting of representatives of Ethiopia and Italy and third member appointed by SYG.
Dept is greatly disappointed learn Latin-American states have decided to condition support of independence for united Libya on Arab support of Ital trusteeship of Somaliland (Delga 70).3 Del shld urgently point put to all other Dels concerned that US had hoped each of the former colonies wld be disposed of separately on its merits and shld reaffirm danger that no solution for any terrs will be reached, with consequent serious blow to UN prestige, if disposition of one area is made contingent on a particular disposition of another terr. Dept had hoped, and wld still prefer, see Libya disposed of this session GA even if Eritrea and Ital Somaliland are postponed. However, if other Dels insist on linking one area with another, US Del shld strongly urge that Libya, Eritrea and Ital Somaliland be disposed of simultaneously in one single package resolution along lines suggested in Delga 75 as approved by Dept in this Tel.