Editorial Note
In an exchange of messages between the United States Delegation at Paris and the Department of State, on November 23, that crossed one another, the Delegation and the Department concluded independently that the United States should not oppose inclusion of the new Soviet item on the agenda of the General Assembly. (Paris telegram 334, November 23, midnight; Department telegram Gadel 231, November 23, 6:25 p. m., 320/11–2351 and 320/11–2251, respectively) The Paris telegram was the result of a meeting of the Delegation advisory staff and the Deputy United States Representative at the United Nations (Gross) on the evening of November 23. The full United States Delegation meeting on November 24, under the chairmanship of Ambassador Austin, United States Representative at the United Nations, confirmed the preliminary action taken on November 23 (IO Files, Doc. US/A/M (Chr)/205). A subsequent staff meeting with certain members of the Delegation on November 24, made the decision to have a joint statement on the Soviet charges issued by the two Members of Congress who were members of the Delegation and who had participated in the legislative process with respect to the passage of the Mutual Security Act, Representatives Michael J. Mansfield and John M. Vorys (IO Files, Doe. US/A/C.1/2508). For text of the joint statement of the two Congressmen, issued to the press at Paris on November 27, see Department of State Bulletin, December 24, 1951, pages 1010 and 1011; the statement was captioned in the Bulletin as “Soviet Distortion of Mutual Security Act”.
Later exchanges between the Delegation at Paris and the Department occurred December 3–18, culminating in a Department of State telegraphic instruction on December 18 (Department telegram Gadel 493, December 18, 12:10 p. m., 320/12–1851). The substance of this instruction and an earlier one of December 3, Gadel 326, is incorporated in Doe. US/A/C.1/2516, December 19, infra.
In the legislative history of the item, the General Committee on November 27 recommended inclusion of the item on the General Assembly’s agenda. The United States supported this move with a strong statement by Ambassador Gross, Deputy United States Representative at the United Nations (GA (VI), General Committee, pages 21 and 22). A statement by Ambassador Gross in plenary meeting of the General Assembly on December 14, when that body considered adoption of the agenda, suggested that the new Soviet item be considered directly by the General Assembly in plenary meeting rather than first be referred by the Assembly to committee. The General Assembly however referred the item to the First Committee (GA (VI), Plenary, pages 271–273).