501.AA/6–2646: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Acting United States Representative at the United Nations (Johnson)
u.s. urgent
109. Amdel. Department has reviewed its position on Italy and Austria and continues to feel an effort should be made to obtain their admission to the United Nations this summer. Admission would give peoples of both countries great psychological lift and we feel strongly this is important. We continue to feel also that Austria should not be admitted prior to Italy and that if we should be blocked on Italy that Austria should be dropped.
[Page 398]We recognize that Potsdam gives the Soviets, should they desire to employ it, the strongest kind of an argument that an exception to Potsdam should not be made in the case of Italy. We believe if we propose Italy that we can almost certainly expect a Soviet counter demand for the satellites. We feel if such a counter demand is made and strongly pressed we must be prepared to accept it. This would mean a revision of Potsdam. Its justification is that at Potsdam no one expected it would take such a long time to develop and negotiate peace treaties.
Please review this urgently with Cadogan and request him to ask the Foreign Office to reconsider its position on Italy, Austria, and the satellites. For your own information, if the F.O. does not change its position we will be prepared to drop this matter this summer.
Also please tell Cadogan that while we are not happy over Albania and also lack certain reasonable assurances required to regularize our relations, we continue to feel that if necessary to accomplish our broad program we would reluctantly vote for Albania. We are also-somewhat apprehensive over the possibility that it may be necessary to vote for Albania in order to get any state in. If necessary we would be prepared to do this after making a statement as to our unfortunate experience and indicating we are voting in favor in the interest of unanimity in the U.N. Please ask Cadogan to request F.O. to reconsider on Albania.
Pursuant your telephone conversation yesterday we are deferring approach in Dublin until you talk further with Cadogan.
Please impress on Cadogan urgency of these several questions as all should be resolved prior to your talks with other permanent members and these talks should take place almost at once.