Office of the Historian

399.10 UPU/1–2651: Telegram

The Ambassador in Egypt (Caffery) to the Secretary of State

confidential
Cairo, January 26, 1951—5 p.m.

789. Department pass to Postmaster General. From Redding. At UPU meeting yesterday (Embtel 782, January 25)1 UK demanded secret ballot on US resolution seconded by USSR. Under UPU procedural rules this necessitated secret ballot despite US objection. Best estimate voting as follows: For: US, Argentine, Brazil. Against: UK, USSR, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Sweden. Abstentions: Dutch, Swiss, Egypt. Unmarked ballot: France.

Argentine then moved resolution applying action of UPU congress of Paris in regard to Spain which would have barred both delegations. US seconded to obtain discussion and open vote on question. Vote over Russian resolution was: For: US, Brazil, Argentine. Against: UK, USSR, Czechoslovakia. Other abstained. Argentine resolution then tabled. Under agreed rules tie vote meant defeat.

Voting on USSR resolution followed and after repeated hints from chairman in presence of US motion for open ballot Czechs finally [Page 219] moved for secret ballot seconded by USSR. Count and estimated line up were same as in ballot on US resolution.2 [Redding.]

Caffery
  1. Not printed. A full résumé of the January 25 proceedings at Cairo regarding the Chinese representation issue was transmitted by the Embassy in despatch 1785, January 29, not printed (399.10 UPU/1–2951).↩

  2. In telegram 814, January 31, 1 p. m., the Ambassador in Egypt (Caffery) informed the Department of State, regarding the Cairo meetings: “I would like to emphasize the extraordinary attitude of the other non-Communist delegations to our delegation during this meeting. It has reached such a point, according to Mr. Redding, that they act as if they are afraid to be seen talking to our delegation. ‘This includes’, said Mr. Redding, ‘our so-called Allies, namely, such nations as UK, France, Switzerland, Sweden and Netherlands.’” (399.10–UPU/1–3151).

    The Embassy in Sweden subsequently cabled to Cairo that “Embassy may wish to explain to Mr. Redding that so far as Sweden is concerned … he has been receiving treatment as from a neutral.” (Stockholm telegram 917, February 1, 2 p. m., 399.10–UPU/2–151)

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