172. Telegram From the Department of State to the Mission at the United Nations1
430. Re President’s appearance before GA.
As you know, SYG has taken position that insofar as setting time of speeches, he intends to schedule them on basis when member nations inscribe themselves on general debate list of speakers. To this end we have agreed to speak second following Brazil. If the normal procedure was followed this would mean that President as Chief of Delegation would sit in USDel seat during Brazilian speech as well as any speeches following. While we have agreed in order minimize SYG difficulties to have President treated as Head of Delegation insofar as it relates to scheduling of speakers (we should not want this publicized) [Page 335] we would not want this to be extended to actual treatment of President while in Assembly hall. We would not want procedure whereby President required sit in USDel seat.
Request you arrange with SYG for Chief of State procedure which would permit President at end Brazilian speech to walk directly into Assembly hall either from rear, front, or side to rostrum and permit expeditious exit form hall directly from rostrum. In this way possibility direct confrontation between President and Khrushchev and others would be avoided.2
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 320/9–1860. Limited Official Use: Priority. Drafted by Sisco on September 17; cleared by Carson, Wallner, SCA, and McSweeny; and approved by the Secretary.↩
- Wadsworth reported in telegram 744 from USUN, September 19, that Hammarskjöld and Cordier had agreed to Eisenhower’s entering and leaving the General Assembly Hall immediately before and after his address. (Ibid., 320/9–1960)↩