Office of the Historian

331. Memorandum From Samuel Belk of the National Security Council Staff to the President’s Special Assistant for National Security Affairs (Bundy)1

Washington, January 25, 1965.

SUBJECT

  • Developments at the UN

A member of Stevenson’s staff has telephoned to say that the SYG had met with Fedorenko and subsequently called Stevenson to report that the Soviet position was so vague and ambiguous that he (the SYG) had no idea how much or when the Russians would pay, even if voting were allowed before the payment was made.2 (In other words, it sounds as though the GA would have no greater assurance from the Russians if the Pazhwak Plan were adopted than it has now.) The SYG felt that the GA was headed for a confrontation on Wednesday if not sooner. When the SYG questioned Fedorenko about a possible postponement, he said they would want to know more about it and that they would have to talk to the Afro-Asians about it.

The Assembly did not meet this morning as a tribute to Churchill,3 and this has set the agenda back. Because of this, Stevenson probably will speak tomorrow morning instead of this afternoon. The text of his speech is attached.4 It is interesting that the Secretary re-wrote parts of [Page 724] the Stevenson-Sisco draft (see marked portions) in order to retain, as he put it, “a maximum of flexibility.” The real meat of the speech begins on page 12. Other than the fact that, it seems to me, it is a bit wordy, I have no trouble with it. If you do, please let me know.

SEB
  1. Source: Johnson Library, National Security File, Country File, United Nations, Memos, Vol. 1. No classification marking.↩
  2. Reported in telegram 2876 from New York, January 25. (Ibid.)↩
  3. Churchill died January 24.↩
  4. Not found.↩