Foreign Relations of the United States, 1958–1960, United Nations and General International Matters, Volume II

170. Telegram From the Mission at the United Nations to the Department of State¹

New York, September 17, 1960—10 p.m.

733. Re: President’s statement to UN.

1. I have not seen draft of proposed Presidential speech for GA, but have been giving considerable thought to what its main focus should be. Dominant feature this GA will be fundamental confrontation of Soviet and American policies in world. While denouncing U.S. for militaristic attitude, Khrushchev will endeavor portray Soviet Union as peaceful and will seek use disarmament theme to do so. He will be making major play for sympathies African states, who are totally inexperienced in world affairs.

2. I therefore believe Pres speech should be major statement of U.S. policy toward world and specifically USSR. We should not wait for Sovs to take initiative to set tone of GA; we should do so ourselves, and should demonstrate firm posture vis-à-vis USSR. Concrete proposals which may be put forward for UN action should be secondary to this theme. States for whose sympathies Sov Union and U.S. will be competing in GA this year (i.e., new African states) know virtually nothing about fundamental issues between Soviet Union and U.S. Our address must therefore be major educative effort. Fundamental statement of issues which divide Communist and democratic worlds together with proposals U.S. has made for their resolution, will also make more difficult inevitable neutralist efforts to seek compromises on superficial basis.

3. In restating U.S. policy, I recommend fol elements be included:(a) absence of war is not sufficient basis for peaceful world—there must also be created world justice under law; “peaceful coexistence”, by which Sov Union means continuation of attempts to take over world for communism short of overt military attack but explicitly including subversion and revolution, is not satisfactory basis for 20th century world; (b) expansion of theme that world must become world of “open societies” if permanent peace is to be established; (c) thorough exposition of historical reasons why U.S. distrusts word of USSR which is not verified by impartial mechanism, and our willingness to submit to same verification as USSR; (d) expansion this theme in connection with U.S. proposals on disarmament to show why inspection must accompany disarmament measures and must do so in way that cannot be frustrated by any party involved. (Depcirtel 397 contains main elements good disarmament treatment.²)

4. Also suggest call for Korea unification be included in Pres’s speech. There are indications Khrushchev will call for Korean Federation. He may even propose federal solution all divided country problems—Germany, Viet Nam and Korea—and it would be well to anticipate him.

Wadsworth

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 320/9–1760. Secret; Niact. Received at 10:46 p.m.
2. Circular telegram 397, September 15, summarized the significant points of U.S. disarmament policy for use in consultations with African nations participating in the General Assembly for the first time. (Ibid., 320/9–1360)