Office of the Historian

893.01/12–149: Telegram

The Minister in Switzerland (Vincent) to the Secretary of State

Bern, December 1, 1949—5 p. m.
[Received December 1—2:30 p. m.]

1822. Explaining Federal Council’s communiqué re Swiss policy on recognition Red China (Legtel 1812, November 3054), Cuttat55 of Foreign Office today told Hughes56 that Swiss policy would undoubtedly follow pattern of Israel recognition, that is, Switzerland would wait until a substantial number of countries had already recognized Communist China. Cuttat said that Switzerland would then probably join with the majority. He added that it is Swiss policy in [Page 210] cases of this kind not to be conspicuous among the first or among the last to recognize but that when the weight of world opinion was for recognizing Switzerland would follow along. He could not say how many nations or what type of nations would constitute prerequisite for Swiss recognition but thought that “certainly more than half” would be necessary.

Vincent
  1. Not printed.↩
  2. Jacques A. Cuttat, Chief of the Western Section of the Division of Political Affairs of the Swiss Ministry for Foreign Affairs.↩
  3. Morris N. Hughes, Counselor of Legation in Switzerland.↩