UNP flies, lot 59 D 237, “Slates”

Memorandum by the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs (Barbour) to the Secretary of State

confidential
  • Subject:
  • EUR position on Presidency of Ninth General Assembly.

With respect to the attached memorandum from Assistant Secretary Key of June 281 and the proposed telegram to Ambassador Lodge in New York, while EUR is reluctant to see withdrawn U.S. support of Van Kleffens’ candidacy for President of the Ninth General Assembly, EUR concurs in the proposed telegram to Ambassador Lodge provided the last sentence is omitted and a final pargaraph added, for the following reasons:

EUR believes that Prince Wan is thoroughly qualified to serve as President of the Ninth General Assembly, both on account of his record as a staunch supporter of the West, particularly at the opening of the Geneva conference, and because, in view of his previous candidacy, we believe he has a certain moral claim to our support.

EUR is oncerned, however lest a situation arise where there is a Far-Eastern President of the General Assembly without the Security Council seat which is about to be vacated by Denmark going to a Western European country. It would be disproportionate for both the Presidency and the Security Council seat to go to Far Eastern countries as is implied if the final sentence of the proposed telegram remains. EUR believes, therefore, that a firm decision should be made at this time to support Belgium, provided, of course, the Belgian Government’s position on Chinese membership continues to be satisfactory, for the Security Council seat and that a paragraph in this sense be added to the outgoing instructions to Ambassador Lodge.2

  1. Supra.
  2. As previously indicated, the draft cable seems not to have been sent.