Editorial Note
The debate by the United Nations Security Council of the Berlin question, which had begun at the Council’s 363rd and 364th Meetings, October 6, 1948, was continued at the Council’s 366th, 368th, and 370th Meetings, October 15, 19, and 22. At the Security Council’s meeting of October 22, the representatives of Argentina, Belgium, Canada, China, Colombia, and Syria introduced the so-called “neutral powers’ resolution” proposing a number of measures aimed at resolving the Berlin crisis. For the text of the resolution (United Nations Security Council Document S/1048, October 22, 1948), see Germany 1947–1949, pages 224–225, Berlin, Quellen und Dokumente, pages 1535–1536, or Documents on American Foreign Relations, pages 99–100. The debate on the neutral powers’ resolution was concluded at the Security Council’s 372nd Meeting, October 25. At that debate, the representatives of the United States, the United Kingdom, and France accepted the resolution; for Deputy United States Representative Jessup’s statement urging acceptance of the resolution, see Germany 1947–1949, pages 225–227. The representative of the Soviet Union was opposed to the resolution. When put to a vote by the Security Council, the resolution [Page 1234] received nine affirmative votes, but it failed of adoption because of the veto by the Soviet Union. On October 27 the Secretary of State, the British Foreign Secretary, and the French Foreign Minister issued a joint statement reaffirming their support for the neutral powers’ resolution; for the text of the statement, see Germany 1947–1949, page 228. For the official record of the discussions in the Security Council of the Berlin question, including the concluding debate on the neutral powers’ resolution, see United Nations, Official Records of the Security Council, Third Year, Numbers 115, 117, 118, 119, and 120.