201. Letter From the Assistant Secretary of State for Congressional Relations (Dutton) to the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee (Fulbright)0
Dear Mr. Chairman: I wish to thank you for your letter of March 9, 1962, requesting the comments of the Department with regard to Senate Concurrent Resolution 63.1 This Resolution would request the President to take action to bring before the United Nations a resolution calling for the withdrawal from the Baltic states of the forces of the Soviet Union, the punishment of persons guilty of crimes against the peoples of the Baltic states, and the extension of the principles of self-determination to the Baltic states.
The Department of State understands and sympathizes fully with the motives which prompted the submission of Senate Concurrent Resolution 63. We have consistently recognized and upheld the right of the Baltic peoples to national independence and to the enjoyment of all fundamental rights and freedoms. Our interest in their cause is deep and abiding, and the Department of State has given constant attention over [Page 443] the years to policies and courses of action designed to convey this interest to the peoples of these areas.
We do not believe the policy of this Government is at issue in this matter. The real question is how the policy of our Government can most effectively be served. It is our view that such action on the part of the United States as is called for by the resolutions under discussion would not win any sizeable support in the General Assembly. An important reason for this is that the great majority of the United Nations Members do not follow the position of the United States in not recognizing the forced incorporation of the Baltic states into the USSR. Moreover, our action in introducing such a resolution would be regarded by many Members as a “cold war” initiative, and would thus lose much of the support it truly merits. Finally, the defeat of such a resolution in the United Nations would unfortunately be regarded as a real victory for the Soviet Union.
In view of these circumstances, the Department of State is forced to recommend against the passage of Senate Concurrent Resolution 63.
The Bureau of the Budget advises that, from the standpoint of the Administrationʼs program, there is no objection to the presentation of this report for the consideration of the Committee.
Sincerely yours,
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 761.00/3-962. No classification marking. Drafted by William J. Barnsdale (EUR/EE) on March 16.↩
- A copy of Fulbrightʼs letter has not been found. For text of the resolution, introduced by Senator Lausche on March 8, but not acted upon by the Committee, see Congressional Record, March 8, 1962, Concurrent Resolutions.↩
- Printed from a copy that bears this typed signature.↩