IO Files: US/A/430
Memorandum of Conversation, by Mr. John C. Ross of the United States Delegation Staff of Advisers
| Participants: | Dr. H. V. Evatt, Australian Delegation |
| Col. W. R. Hodgson, Australian Delegation | |
| Mr. Adlai Stevenson, United States Delegation | |
| Mr. John C. Ross, United States Delegation |
Colonel Hodgson asked me where we stood on our slate for the Economic and Social Council. I evaded his question by telling him that we had not yet formulated a definite slate and asked him where his Delegation stood.
The Colonel said that Australia was going all out for a place on the Economic and Social Council. This had been talked over with Evatt who is strongly for it.
On the Security Council, the Colonel said Australia was opposed to any of the Eastern European countries.
The Colonel was interrupted at this point by a member of the Indian Delegation and I joined Dr. Evatt and Mr. Stevenson who were discussing the same subject.
Evatt expressed himself in even stronger terms than Hodgson with regard to Australia’s desire to get on the Economic and Social Council. Pie confirmed that Australia was strongly against any of the Eastern European countries for the Security Council.
While we were talking, Hodgson joined us and reported that the Indian Delegate who had interrupted our earlier conversation had just told him that it had, been decided with Madame Pandit at lunch that India was withdrawing from the Economic and Social Council race and wanted to go out strongly for the Security Council.
In summary it was quite apparent that a deal between Australia and India is in the making whereby Australia will strongly support India for the Security Council and India will support Australia for the Economic and Social Council.
[Page 138]Before bur conversation ended, I asked Evatt if he would tell me frankly how he felt about accepting the Chairmanship of the Palestine Committee.
Evatt replied that he would not want to get caught in a situation similar to the one in which he found himself in the election for the Presidency. He was not an active candidate; he was certainly hot going to be a candidate against Mr. Pearson of Canada.
On the other hand if there were a substantially unanimous desire to put him in this place, he would accept it. I gathered from this conversation that Evatt would like the job and feels there is important work to be done; on the other hand, he does not want to run the slightest risk of a rebuff of any kind.