IO Files: US/A/C.1/1907
Memorandum of Conversation, by Mr. Harding F. Bancroft of the United States Delegation Advisory Staff
| Participants: | Sir Benegal N. Rau1 | — | Indian Delegation |
| Mr. John Foster Dulles | } | United States Delegation | |
| Mr. Harding F. Bancroft |
Sir Benegal was given a copy of the draft of September 25 on “Uniting for Peace”. In a later discussion with Mr. Dulles he said that the principal thing that had worried his Government when the idea was presented to it sometime ago in New Delhi was the possibility that it would be regarded by the Russians as an effort toward alliance against them and might cause them to leave the United Nations. As far as the text of the Resolution was concerned, Sir Benegal said he had not had a chance to study it thoroughly but would like to transmit it to his Government and get their comments.
Mr. Dulles in explaining the purpose of the proposal and the underlying reasons why we favored its adoption at this Assembly, made it clear to Sir Benegal that it was not the purpose or the intent of the United States to drive the Russians out of the United Nations. He said that in his opinion although it was impossible to predict Russian action, the taking of this step by the Assembly would not force the Russians out nor be used as a pretext by them to leave the United Nations unless they had decided for other reasons to do so.
In elaborating at some length our reasons for the proposal Mr. Dulles made the point that if action of some sort to strengthen the United Nations capacity to deal with aggression was not taken under the Charter, it was not unlikely that the Members of the United Nations might urge it outside of the Charter, for example, under Article 51. Mr. Dulles said he had long been opposed to such action outside the Charter, but if it were taken it would be much more likely to have the effect on the Russians which we all wanted to avoid. He said that in this case inaction by the Assembly might be just as dangerous vis-à-vis the Russians as action by this Assembly.
Sir Benegal gave no indication of his reaction to Mr. Dulles’ arguments but promised to pass them on to his Government and get in touch with us as soon as he had word from it.
- Permanent Representative of India at the United Nations, Chairman of the Indian Delegation to the General Assembly.↩