Office of the Historian

UNP files, lot 59 D 237, “Slates”

Memorandum by the Assistant Secretary of State for united Nations Affairs (Key) to the Secretary of State

confidential
[Washington,] August 19, 1954.
  • Subject:
  • 1) Security Council and ECOSOC Slates and 2) Your Appointment with Ambassador Silvercruys at 3:00 p.m. Today

Discussion:

Mr. Murphy held a meeting yesterday to discuss elections to the Security Council and ECOSOC at the Ninth Assembly. Assistant Secretaries Robertson and Merchant, Mr. Jernegan vice Mr. Byroade, Mr. Jamison vice Mr. Holland, and I attended. The following recommendations were reached unanimously:

1.
Security Council
a.
We should support Belgium, which has Western European support, for Denmark’s seat, and inform the Belgians now, at the same time urging their continued support for our position against the seating of the Chinese Communists;
b.
We should support either Cuba or Peru to succeed Colombia, our decision between the two to depend upon the choice of the Latin Americans;
c.
We should support Iran, a candidate to succeed Lebanon, but should make no commitment until Iraq, which has also been a candidate, withdraws. (We understand that it intends to bow out in favor of Iran).
d.
It was noted that Garcia, Vice-President of the Philippines and concurrently Secretary of Foreign Affairs, asked the Under Secretary in June for our support for the Philippines for the Security Council and that the Under Secretary said he could be pretty certain of our vote. Since the Philippines had previously asked our support for ECOSOC, we enquired in Manila whether it was actually a candidate for both Councils. We have had no definite answer from the Foreign Office, but the Philippine UN delegate has indicated it is interested only in ECOSOC. We decided at the meeting that it would be impracticable to support the Philippines for the Security Council but that we should actively support its election to ECOSOC.
2.
ECOSOC
a.
We should support two Latin American candidates to succeed Argentina and Cuba, our choices to depend upon the views of the Latin American group. (Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Dominican Republic and Mexico are candidates);
b.
We should support the reelection of China and France;
c.
As noted above, we should support the Philippines to succeed Egypt, and assure it of our active support now. (Afghanistan, Burma and Egypt are the other candidates.)
d.
If, as we have heard indirectly, the Netherlands is a candidate to succeed Belgium, we should support it. If it is not a candidate, we should consider whether we could support Afghanistan.

[Page 580]

Recommendations:

1.
That you approve the above recommendations.
2.
That you inform Ambassador Silvercruys that we will support Belgium’s candidacy for the Security Council and use this opportunity to urge Belgium’s continued support for our position against seating the Chinese Communists in the United Nations.

Concurrences:

  • FE—Mr. Robertson; EUR—Mr. Elbrick; ARA—Mr. Jamison; NEA—Mr. Jernegan (in substance)
  • USUN—Ambassador Lodge (in substance)