Office of the Historian

320/12–550: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the United States Mission at the United Nations

confidential
Washington, December 5, 1950—8 p. m.

Gadel 162. Subject is Question of Formosa in GA. When item comes up for consideration in First Committee USDel should suggest postponment of consideration of this item until the sixth session of the Assembly.

US Rep might refer to statement by Dulles of November 15, 1950 in First Committee1 and point out that situation created by increased Chinese Communist intervention in Korea which was the reason for our suggestion for putting this item to a later place on the agenda has now assumed critical character. Since the Soviet veto has prevented the SC from dealing with this intervention the General Assembly will have to consider it as a matter of urgency and priority.

US Rep should reaffirm US view restated by Dulles on November 15 that international community has legitimate interest and concern in having Formosa question settled by peaceful means. He should state that, if the Assembly now decides to postpone the item, until the sixth session, the Interim Committee will be able if the circumstances warrant to undertake preparatory study in anticipation of GA consideration.

Dept assumes that committee will have to make a decision on suggestion to postpone and send its report to GA for approval. The most advisable course would be, after US Rep makes his suggestion, for Chairman to state consensus of committee is to agree to postponement to sixth session and thus obviate further debate. If that is not possible USDel or other friendly del would have to submit formal proposal for postponement until sixth GA which would be voted upon in committee.2

Acheson
  1. See footnote 2 to telegram Delga 290, November 15, from New York, p. 573.↩

  2. When the First Committee met on the morning of December 7, the French Representative proposed that item 76 on the General Assembly agenda, “Intervention of the Central People’s Government of the People’s Republic of China in Korea,” be taken up as a matter of priority. After debate extending into the afternoon session, the First Committee adopted the French proposal by a vote of 42 to 5, with 4 abstentions. (U.N. documents A/C.1/SR.408, 409) The question of the “Complaint by the U.S.S.R. regarding aggression against China by the United States of America” was not taken up by the First Committee again until February 2, 1951 during the resumed Fifth Session of the General Assembly (U.N. document A/1773).

    This arrangement satisfied the Department of State which, in telegram Gadel 187 to New York, December 16 (not printed), indicated a preference for postponement without specification of debate on aggression against China rather than, a postponement until the Sixth Session of the General Assembly, since the latter course appeared too inflexible and too indicative of a desire for a long term sidetracking of this question (320/12–1650).

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