Foreign Relations of the United States, 1951, Korea and China, Volume VII, Part 1

320/1–1551: Telegram

The United States Representative at the United Nations (Austin) to the Secretary of State

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New York, January 15, 1951—1:38 p. m.

Delga 515. Personal for the Secretary from Austin. Instructions re Korea. Re Delga 506, January 12¹ and oral response thereto by Assistant Secretary Hickerson on telephone this morning, my understanding is as follows:

(1) Deptel 632² does not specifically refer to or answer Delga 506.

(2) In consultations with diplomatic representatives in Washington and delegations of other member states in UN, only the first alternative of Deptel 632 will be discussed or referred to until Department decides, after consultation with Mission, that it is necessary to obtain the largest possible majority to take up the second alternative. I understand that if any indication is given by Department or by Mission that we may weaken on the first alternative, we would be deprived of important trading position already established with Latin delegations and some European and Asiatic delegations. The mission will commence liaison with other delegations at once and ought to soon ascertain whether it is wise to continue to press vigorously in consultations for use of the substance of the finding of aggression according to the first alternative. I understand need to handle matter in a manner to protect US leadership, and, in fact, to increase it.

Austin

1. Not printed. In it, Ambassador Austin strongly set forth his conviction that U.S. policy should be to press in the United Nations for a finding that Communist China was guilty of aggression in Korea (795.00/1–1251).
2. Dated January 13, p. 74.