Foreign Relations of the United States, 1951, The United Nations; The Western Hemisphere, Volume II

UNP Files, Lot 59 D 237, “Morocco–Memoranda of Conversation”

Memorandum of Conversation, by the Deputy United States Representative at the United Nations (Gross)¹

secret

[Paris,] November 6, 1951.

Subject: Morocco.

Participants:	Amb. Jean Chauvel, French Delegation
	Sir Gladwyn Jebb, UK Delegation2
	Mr. Francis Lacoste, French Delegation3
	Amb. Ernest Gross, US Delegation

Pursuant to general agreement reached by the three Secretaries during the morning, we discussed details of the procedure for handling the Moroccan Case in the General Committee. We agreed that after presentation of the item by the Egyptian Delegate, a friendly member (to be determined after the General Committee has been established) will move under Rule 78 to adjourn the debate on the item. The French Representative will support the motion, followed by the U.S. Delegate. Chauvel is to discuss with Schuman whether the latter wishes to make a brief policy speech in the General Committee, generally maintaining that the French policy in Morocco has been in conformity with Article 73 of the Charter and indicating in general terms French plans with respect to the political, economic and social evolution of Morocco.

Although it was recognized that the General Committee is technically not an appropriate forum for a substantive debate, it was considered inevitable that the Egyptian in presenting the item and the Russian in opposing a motion to postpone will both make policy arguments and it would be wrong to leave the record of the General Committee free of even a brief policy rebuttal.

Chauvel agreed that if Schuman decides that the French Representative will make a policy speech in the General Committee, Chauvel will give me a draft before the Committee meeting. Chauvel is to advise me of the decision as soon as it is possible for him to talk with Schuman, which he hopes will be sometime before Wednesday morning, November 7.

I referred to information received that Maurice Schumann was supposed to have indicated recently that the French would be prepared to answer questions in the Fourth Committee on the observance of human rights in Morocco. (This information had been given to me by Wallner and Stein).⁴ I expressed the hope that the information was correct and that we attached great importance to the French being able to handle the anticipated attacks in the Fourth Committee by the nonadministering powers. However, Chauvel and Lacoste vehemently denied the accuracy of the information and said that if it were true, “Maurice Schumann would be afraid to admit to them that he had said anything like this.” The French considered this completely outside the competence of the United Nations.

Jebb climbed aboard, strongly supporting the French position.

1. Gross was also a member of the U.S. Delegation to the General Assembly.
2. Sir Gladwyn Jebb was Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the United Nations and a member of the British Delegation to the General Assembly.
3. Lacoste was a consultative adviser to the French Delegation to the General Assembly.
4. Woodruff Wallner, First Secretary of Embassy in France, and Eric Stein of the U.S. Delegation Advisory Staff. Stein was Executive Officer on the advisory staff for matters relating to the General Assembly’s Ad Hoc Political and Security Committee.