795.00/9—952: Telegram
The United States Representative at the United Nations to the Department of State
228. From Gross. Re Lie’s trip to Europe. Lie has now made arrangements to see Eden1 in London Thurs, Sept 11; also Pearson, who will be in London at same time.
I conveyed to Lie general substance and emphasis of Deptel 109, Sept 8.2 He seemed impressed by reasons for supporting additional measures of sort tentatively envisaged. He added that he had been advised by unspecified UK sources that US Govt was “not really very interested in embargo.”
I replied in strongest terms that this was not the case and could not understand why any Brit source should be confused about our position.
Major concern expressed by Lie is that UN would greatly suffer unless some “positive and affirmative action” is taken. Unless there are increased troop contributions and possibly other measures as well, Commies “would have won the second round” and neither US public opinion would tolerate such result nor would UN survive it. He wants to impress upon Eden and Pearson importance of UK and Canad Govts taking initiative to contribute or obtain twenty or thirty thousand additional troops and to drop any idea that UN should “sit by and see what happens”. He thinks he can persuade Eden more readily than Pearson, adding that he considers latter to be “weaker of the two”.
- In telegram 1467 from London, dated Sept. 12, 1952, the Embassy reported information received from a British Foreign Office official who had been present at the Lie–Eden meeting on Sept. 11. Eden was unable to offer additional British forces for Korea; no mention was made of additional measures against the People’s Republic of China; and Lie said that he hoped nations which had not so far contributed forces could be persuaded to do so. Lie spoke of Brazil in this connection. (795.00/9–1252)↩
- Ante, p. 490.↩