771.00/12–1054: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the United States Mission at the United Nations
316. For Lodge from Secretary. Reference Delga 3711 and your telephone conversation.2 Situation in Paris so delicate and balance in favor of sustaining Mendes-France on London–Paris accords so precarious that we feel we must avoid any action which could be misinterpreted in France as desertion of France and support of Arabs. Have just received appeal from Mendes in this sense. Therefore believe we must avoid any activity which would make us appear to be co-sponsors of a moderate resolution which the Arabs would introduce. Even if the Arabs introduce a resolution as moderate as suggested in reference telegram, we should still vote against with a statement that while we do not dissent from any of the sentiments expressed in the resolution, we do feel that a UN resolution at this time is inadvisable, given the fact that we believe that present Government of France is sincerely striving to settle this problem in accordance with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and that as a practical matter present efforts are more apt to succeed without UN interposition than if there is such interposition.3
- Supra.↩
- No memorandum of this telephone conversation has been found in the Department of State files. Presumably, this reference is to the call mentioned in paragraph 5 of telegram Delga 371, supra.↩
- Ambassador Lodge set forth the U.S. position along the above lines before the Political Committee on Dec. 13. Ultimately, the General Assembly adopted by a vote of 55 (United States) to 0, with 4 abstentions, on Dec. 17, a compromise resolution providing for postponement of the Moroccan question until the next session, while expressing confidence in France’s intention to provide full internal autonomy in Morocco.↩