Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, United Nations Affairs, Volume III

310.2/5–1453: Telegram

The Acting Secretary of State to the Mission at the United Nations¹

secret

Washington, May 14, 1953—6:12 p.m.

438. Re Membership Committee:

Immediate injection omnibus proposal by Egypt into Committee’s discussion and decision hold general debate may raise difficulties for US unless we reach agreement with UK and France on satisfactory line to be taken by all three delegations. Dept suggests desirability discussion this problem with UK and France. Suggest you stress difficulties for all three governments if effect Committee’s discussions and report is promote idea solution possible only through political settlement. In fact any concessions made in Committee relating to possible membership agreement in future would on one hand weaken our bargaining power with USSR if we decide seek settlement and would on other hand make our positions much more difficult in Assembly if we decide against. You might suggested to France and UK most ‘effective method handling problem would be:

1. Continue stress in Committee necessity keeping several approaches open.

2. Stress necessity Committee not embark on consideration individual applicants including any specific plans for admission particular countries.

3. Point out serious weakness Egyptian position in advocating members apply different voting standards in SC than GA and base our reasoning on Court opinion to effect decision on membership applications must be based solely upon criteria article 4.

FYI if UN members desire achieve universal membership by political settlement we believe this could be done only if general agreement reached by Members beforehand upon some new method of applying criteria article 4. This would necessarily mean any new standard would be applied to all states and not merely some as in case Soviet proposal and that much lower standard of qualifications would in effect be used by members within discretion they have under article 4. However since we have not made any decision seek omnibus settlement we would prefer avoid any indication willingness accept new basis for applying article 4 which might be taken up by others as basis for strong movement toward omnibus arrangement. We therefore hope three governments would not raise question new application criteria of article 4 themselves during Committee discussions unless this proves absolutely necessary. End FYI.

Smith

1. Drafted by Jones and concurred in by Wainhouse of UNP; cleared in draft with the geographic bureaus and L/UNA; approved for transmission by Assistant Secretary Hickerson; and signed by Eric Stein, Acting Officer in Charge, Pacific Settlement Affairs.