Foreign Relations of the United States, 1951, National Security Affairs; Foreign Economic Policy, Volume I

UNP Files, Acc. No. 71A5255, Lot 58 D 224¹

Memorandum by the Assistant Secretary of State for Far Eastern Affairs (Rusk) to the Assistant Secretary of State for United Nations Affairs ( Hickerson )²

secret

[Washington,] October 23, 1951.

Subject: Proposed General Assembly Resolution on the CMC Report.

In response to your memorandum of October 19,³ I approve the proposed GA resolution on the CMC report subject to the following general comments.

Paragraph 6 of the substantive part of the resolution recommends to states members of regional arrangements that as set forth in the CMC report they take account of the complementary relationship between the activities of such agencies and UN collective measures. It is my understanding that this paragraph implies no obligation whatsoever on the part of the US Government or other Governments to raise in any regional arrangements the subject matter of that paragraph.

As you know, I believe wholeheartedly in strengthening the UN by means and at a pace consistent with the best interests of this Government. The US has assumed heavy security responsibilities under regional arrangements—heavier than those of any other Government. We are all aware of the circumstances which necessitated the creation of the regional arrangements. They were not created to serve as regional enforcement agencies of the UN nor to perform functions outside the geographic area or otherwise beyond the scope of their authority nor to be subject to UN control. I believe that our Delegation and foreign Delegations should be under no misapprehension on these points.

We should not attempt to alter the basic structure and purpose of the regional arrangements as now constituted because ideally under a world organization regional arrangements should not be necessary or because steps looking toward the integration of regional arrangements with the UN might serve as a means of answering possible criticism of regional arrangements. Our security interests are too closely bound into these arrangements to have us tamper with them except upon full deliberation by all concerned officials at the highest levels.

For these reasons I believe that we would do well at the Sixth GA not to make a major issue of the relation of regional arrangements to the UN nor to press that issue beyond the point reached in the CMC report.

1. Certain files of the Office of United Nations Political and Security Affairs, 1943–1956.
2. Copies of this memorandum were transmitted to George W. Perkins, Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs; Philip C. Jessup, Ambassador at Large; Harding F. Bancroft, Deputy United States Representative on the Collective Measures Committee; and David W. Wainhouse and Bernard G. Bechhoefer of the Office of United Nations Political and Security Affairs.
3. By memorandum of October 19, Hickerson had distributed for comment the draft resolution contained in position paper SD/A/C.1/379/Rev. 1, Annex A (p. 676). This communication was directed to the following individuals: Ambassador at Large Jessup; Assistant Secretaries Miller (ARA), Perkins (EUR), Rusk (FE), McGhee (NEA); and Adrian S. Fisher, Legal Adviser.