182. Memorandum of a Conversation Between the Secretary of State and the Canadian Chargé d’Affaires (Glazebrook), Department of State, Washington, November 23, 19551
In the absence from town of Ambassador Heeney, the Secretary asked Mr. Glazebrook to come in. The Secretary opened the conversation by saying that in the spirit of frankness which characterized Canadian-American relations he wanted the Canadian Government to know that its initiative on the package resolution in the UN had been damaging to our interests and had not been accompanied by consultation between our two governments of the character called for by the gravity of the proposal. During the conversation the Secretary said that whereas he understood our Delegation in New York had received a copy of the draft resolution a few days earlier, his first knowledge of its text was from a copy given to him by General Franco in Madrid on November 1. He said that the proposal created great problems for us with certain of our allies, and that he foresaw great difficulty in Congress. The admission of Outer Mongolia to the United Nations would, in effect, be the final ratification [Page 396] of the Yalta Agreements, on which agreements the Soviets had scandalously defaulted.
Mr. Glazebrook said that he was disturbed that the Secretary felt the Department had not been adequately consulted. He said that in August he personally, as Chargé, had talked to the officers of IO just after Mr. Pearson had explained to the External Affairs Committee in Ottawa that he believed all the applications for membership should be considered at the forthcoming General Assembly and that the 4 great powers should get together in an effort to find a solution to the membership question. He said that the Department at that time and in subsequent conversation had explained the extreme difficulty that possible admission of the satellites, particularly Outer Mongolia, would create for the United States. He said that there had also been exchanges in New York between our representatives. The fact was that, Mr. Glazebrook said, things began moving extremely rapidly in the General Assembly and that an original proposal that the four great powers reach agreement on this matter had become transformed into a package membership draft resolution.
The Secretary repeated in strong terms the serious problems that were created for us. He felt that consultations had not been of a character or at a level which was required by the importance of the issues. He went on to say that at the very least he hoped that the Canadian Government would find it possible to delay a few days in order to enable us to do some of the work which the situation now required. Martin, in New York a day or two ago, had said in response to Ambassador Lodge’s request that he refused agree to any delay in presenting the matter and he understood that the resolution was now scheduled for submission on Friday. He doubted that the Canadian Government had thought through all the implications of their action. A possible consequence was the question of the United States even remaining within the United Nations. He said that he had debated and argued with Molotov at length on the membership question in Geneva but that his bargaining position had been destroyed by the Canadian initiative. All Mr. Molotov kept saying was that he was supporting the Canadian resolution for a package of 18 countries.
Mr. Glazebrook repeated that he believed that the Canadians both in Washington and New York had kept us fully and currently informed of the developments of their thinking. He repeated that the situation had begun to move very fast in the General Assembly. He said that of course he would report the Secretary’s views and the request that there be a delay at least of a few days of the presentation.
[Page 397]The Secretary closed the conversation by saying that he had spoken frankly as was customary in our relations with the Canadians.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 310.2/11–2355. Confidential. Drafted by Merchant.↩