Office of the Historian

320/6–2954

Memorandum of Telephone Conversation, by the Assistant Secretary of State for United Nations Affairs (Key)

[Washington,] June 29, 1954.
  • Subject:
  • Presidency Ninth General Assembly
  • Participants:
  • Mr. David McK. Key, UNA
  • Ambassador Cabot Lodge, USUN

I telephoned Ambassador Lodge this morning about an hour before his scheduled meeting with Prince Wan to inform him that the Department had not yet been able to reach a final and definitive decision as to whether or not the United States should support Prince Wan if the latter is a candidate for the presidency of the ninth General Assembly.

I added that this matter was receiving active consideration and that a meeting was being held later today under the chairmanship of Mr. Murphy for the purpose of submitting considered recommendations on this subject to the Secretary. However, it was extremely unlikely that any decision could be reached before Prince Wan called on Ambassador Lodge. For this reason, I cautioned Ambassador Lodge against sounding out Prince Wan about his possible candidacy. Ambassador Lodge stated that in the circumstances he would not, of course, raise this subject.

David McK. Key