Office of the Historian

IO Files: US/A/2403

Memorandum of Telephone Conversation, by the Deputy United States Representative in the Security Council (Ross)

confidential
[New York,] August 24, 1950.

Subjects: Secretary-Generalship; Organization of Credentials Committee

Participants: Mr. Durward V. Sandifer, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for UN Affairs
Mr. John C. Ross, United States Mission

[Here Mr. Sandifer describes a visit to Washington by Andrew W. Cordier of the United Nations Secretariat on August 22, during which Mr. Cordier conferred with Assistant Secretary Hickerson.]

Hickerson and Cordier also discussed the question of organizing the Credentials Committee. This Committee has nine members and it was thought that six might be governments which had not recognized the Communist regime in China while three might be governments which had recognized that regime. A ratio of seven to two would be better from our point of view since three places for governments which had recognized the Communist regime would be more than the actual numerical ratio. Hickerson indicated to Cordier that a ratio of six to three might be all right. Cordier had apparently raised the question of naming India, Norway and Yugoslavia to the Credentials Committee. The question was also discussed of whether the United State should be a member of the Credentials Committee. Mr. Sandifer expressed to me the personal view that the United States ought to be. Mr. Hickerson apparently indicated to Mr. Cordier that if a satellite were named to the Credentials Committee this would be the same as having the U.S.S.R. on it and we would therefore have to be on it.

There was some discussion of the parliamentary situation at the opening of the General Assembly and the question was raised whether, if Vyshinsky raises a point of order at the very beginning, Romulo should rule that the matter should be taken up under the third item of the agenda which is selection of the Credentials Committee.

Mr. Sandifer and I agreed that we would follow up these matters with Mr. Cordier in discussions we will doubtless be having with him.