Office of the Historian

7. Letter From the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs (Phillips) to the Representative at the United Nations (Lodge)1

Washington, August 10, 1955.

Dear Cabot: You will by this time have received the Department’s telegram No. 56 of this date,2 which reflects the upshot of a long meeting held yesterday with the Secretary to discuss the subjects of Charter review and membership (including non-member participation). During that meeting (at which Fran Wilcox was also present) the Secretary made it quite clear that he regards membership [Page 9] as the key problem presently confronting the UN, and that his thinking on the question of a Charter review conference is largely conditioned by his estimate of the necessity or utility of such a conference in helping to break the present membership deadlock, which he fears is progressively strangling the UN.

For this reason, he decided to hold up a telegram which we had drafted, setting forth a clear position on the Charter review conference question to be negotiated with the British and French, pending further exploration of possible solutions to the membership impasse. In this connection, the Secretary now appears to be thinking in terms of a broad package deal including virtually all outstanding applicants, plus Spain but with the exception of the divided states and certain of the more flagrant of the satellites. I need hardly say that this information should be very closely and carefully held until there has been further opportunity to explore the possibilities.3

I am sorry that we have been unable to provide you with any more concrete guidance on Charter review, but that is the way it has worked out. I did not at yesterday’s meeting sense any strong feeling on the part of the Secretary that we should press ahead for a specific decision by the Tenth Session to hold a Charter review conference at a predetermined time and place if in fact the prevailing sentiment of the other Members is against such a decision. On the other hand, he did seem favorably disposed toward the idea of establishing a “preparatory commission” of some sort to give continuing consideration to the feasibility of convening such a conference, as well as to the possible time, place, and terms of reference thereof. From what we know of the Interim Report of the Senate Foreign Relations Sub-Committee on the subject of Charter review, they would appear to be similarly disposed.

I might add that the consensus of the meeting appeared to be clearly in favor of deferring any further discussion of the non-member participation idea until after we have explored more thoroughly the chances of achieving a break in the membership deadlock.

Sincerely yours,

Christopher H. Phillips4

P.S. Since drafting the foregoing I have seen a copy of the Secretary’s letter to you on non-member participation and Charter [Page 10] review.5 That letter was dictated by the Secretary following yesterday’s meeting and further reflects his views on these subjects.

  1. Source: USUN Files, IO, Membership. Secret.↩
  2. Telegram 56, August 10, reported that the Department was currently reassessing its position on Charter review with particular reference to the membership question, which was regarded as the crucial substantive issue. Should means be found to break the existing deadlock over membership the Department might not be disposed to press for an early Charter review conference. (Department of State, Central Files, 310.1/8–355)↩
  3. A handwritten notation at this point in the source text reads: “Caveat to all readers!”↩
  4. Printed from a copy that bears this typed signature.↩
  5. Not printed.↩