Foreign Relations of the United States, 1961–1963, Volume XXI, Africa

326. Telegram From the Department of State to the Consulate General in Salisbury⁰

Washington, March 19, 1962, 7:35 p.m.

732. Urtel 659.¹ While Department fully appreciates post’s concern over likely reaction of Europeans and Africans re position taken by US at UN on Southern Rhodesia, Department also relies on post interpret as necessary to leaders both groups main elements of US policy which supports advancement democratic principles and practices SR under conditions peaceful change within framework Charter.

This general view presented by US Delegate Bingham in speech to Committee of Seventeen on March 16 (copy pouched to Salisbury). You will note from speech there has been no “flip-flop” in US policy on Southern Rhodesia: we favor greater African participation in government, do not express view that SR is non-self-governing and point out it will not help for Cte make concrete and detailed recommendations. Perhaps there some misunderstanding about procedural nature GA resolution which referred SR to Cte of Seventeen.² That resolution, which US opposed unsuccessfully on grounds it would not promote desired objectives in SR, referred SR to Cte of Seventeen to determine whether SR has attained full measure of self-government within meaning of Charter and report to next GA. When Cte of Seventeen first met US opposed detailed study individual territories but that view did not prevail. Now we face situation where other members Cte, especially Afro-Asians, are pressing their extreme views. US policy consistently aimed at exerting moderating influence in direction reasonable solution problems before Cte whether or not white settlers and Africans in territories concerned fully realize or appreciate what US trying to do.

Ball

0. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 745C.00/3-662. Confidential. Drafted by Deming and Wellons and approved by Tasca. Repeated to London, USUN, and by pouch to Dar-es-Salaam, Nairobi, and Pretoria.
1. Dated March 13. (Ibid., 745C.00/3-1362)
2. For text of Resolution 1745 (XVI), “United Nations Investigation of the Measure of Self-Government Attained by the Territory of Southern Rhodesia,” adopted by the U.N. General Assembly on February 23 by a vote of 57 to 21 (including the United States) with 24 abstentions, see American Foreign Policy: Current Documents, 1962, p. 973.