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  4. Document 48

310.2/11–551

Briefing Memorandum for Talks by the Secretary of State With the British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (Eden), at Paris 1

secret
[ Paris ,] November 3, 1951.

Yugoslav Seat in the Security Council

London’s 907, October 31,2 states that the Foreign Office believes it probable that Eden will take up with the Secretary the question of the succession to Yugoslavia’s seat on the Security Council.

1. U.E. Attitude.

The United Kingdom is taking a strong position in favor of the election of a satellite to the seat being vacated by Yugoslavia. It takes this position chiefly on the ground that failure to give this seat to the Soviets would irritate the U.S.S.R. and give the impression that we wish to drive them out of the United Nations. Moreover, the United Kingdom is interested in a strict application of the geographic quotas followed in the past in which the Soviet group had one seat in addition to the U.S.S.R.

2. U.S. Position.

As set forth in the attached telegram,3 the Department’s position is that it is opposed to the election of a Soviet satellite and will support the election of that non-Soviet country which has the best chance of election. We consider this necessary in order to maintain public support for the United Nations in the United States. Moreover, under present international conditions the maintenance of a working majority in the Security Council is essential to the free world. On the basis of the information now available, Greece appears to have the best chance of election. We are informing other delegations of the United States position.

  1. The Secretary of State had arrived in Paris on November 1, to head the U.S. Delegation to the Sixth Session of the General Assembly which was to convene in Paris on November 6. A series of bipartite (Acheson-Eden) and tripartite (Acheson-Eden-Schuman) meetings was held at Paris between November 4 and November 9. This briefing paper was probably drafted for the use of the Secretary of State at a November 4 meeting with Eden.↩
  2. Not printed.↩
  3. Not attached to source text. Probably Department of State telegram Gadel 8, October 25, 8:50 p.m., p. 89.↩