Office of the Historian

795.00/1–1951: Telegram

The Ambassador in France (Bruce) to the Secretary of State

secret
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Paris, January 19, 1951—1 p. m.

4173. Following is free translation of aide-mémoire dated today just received from Foreign Office:

The French Government is disposed to support proposals presented by the American Government with a view to the condemnation of [Page 108] Chinese intervention in Korea. It appears to the French Government that the terms of this condemnation could be patterned on those of the resolution of 25 June last condemning the action undertaken by the North Koreans as “an act constituting a breach of the peace” which act the Peking authorities have supported politically, diplomatically and militarily, thus making themselves accomplices therein.

It should be understood:

1.
That the voting by the Assembly of a resolution of condemnation does not involve any implicit authorization to the unified command to take military measures against Chinese territory;
2.
That measures of any nature whatever to be taken as a result of this resolution would be the subject of debate and of a decision by the Assembly;
3.
That in this spirit the Collective Measures Committee would be responsible not for drawing up recommendations but for making a report to the First Committee, whose task it would be to make recommendations to the Assembly;
4.
That this statement of position implies in no way that the French Government agrees to the principle of sanctions to be applied to Communist China.

Bruce