330/4–1651

Memorandum by Mr. Harry N. Howard, United Nations Adviser, Bureau of Near Eastern, South Asian, and African Affairs, to the Acting Director of the Office of United Nations Political and Security Affairs (Wainhouse)

Subject: Possible Greek Candidacy for the Security Council

At the NEA staff meeting on Thursday, April 12, I made note of Mr. Kyrou’s2 recent statement that Greece might be a candidate to succeed Yugoslavia as a member of the Security Council, indicating that Mr. Kyrou had referred to the possible Greek candidacy in discussing the matter with me last November. I also indicated in the staff meeting the Greek view that Greece could hardly be expected to be a successful candidate in 1952 to succeed Turkey since the Arab States would have a strong case in 1952 for that seat, in view of the successful Turkish candidacy in 1950.

Mr. McGhee,3 Mr. Rountree,4 and I felt that Greece was entitled to support from the United States in this matter, although there has been no formal request as yet for such support, in view of the strong Greek stand in the Korean situation, the support which Greece has always given to the United States in the United Nations, and the position which Greece occupies in the Eastern Mediterranean.

We were all aware that such a candidacy would also raise some problems since Greece is a neighbor of Turkey, already on the Security Council, and since the Soviet Union and its satellites will, no doubt, put up a strong case for the election of another Soviet satellite.

  1. Alexis Kyrou, Permanent Representative of Greece to the United Nations.
  2. George C. McGhee, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern, South Asian, and African Affairs.
  3. William M. Rountree, Director of the Office of Greek, Turkish, and Iranian Affairs.