Office of the Historian

189. Telegram From the Mission at the United Nations to the Department of State1

Washington, November 29, 1955—5 p.m.

Delga 378. For the Secretary from Lodge. Re: membership. Pursuant to our telephone conversation this morning, I invited Belaunde to see me and suggested to him that he propose a motion in the SC:

(a)
For the election of 17, and
(b)
To refer the application of Outer Mongolia to the standing subcommittee of the SC on membership under rule 59.2

I put it to him that this was a compromise proposal midway between the proposal for 17 nations and the proposal for 18 nations and stressed to him the seriousness of the situation, having in mind the ChiNat announcement of their veto with all its serious consequences.

He at first said that he couldn’t make such a motion, but I impressed upon him the seriousness of the situation and the threat that it held out to the UN and to the unity of the free world. He asked to have the night to think it over.

[Page 410]

I recommend that if by tomorrow morning we have not had a favorable reply from Belaunde, that I be authorized to introduce the 17 nation motion with the proviso for referring Outer Mongolia to the subcommittee on membership at an early meeting of the SC, Friday if possible.3

Lodge
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 310.2/11–2955. Secret; Niact.↩
  2. The number “39” was corrected on the source text to read “59”.↩

  3. In Delga 385 from USUN, November 30, Lodge reported: “Since my wire November 18 (Delga 309), the change in the public opinion factors concerning the membership question and recent other developments bring me to the conclusion that we should not now commit ourselves to voting for the package of 18. If we go ahead and propose a package of 17 and it gets vetoed, we could then consider whole question afresh.” (Department of State, Central Files, 310.2/11–3055)

    In Delga 386 from USUN, November 30, Lodge reported: “UK intention to introduce 18 nation package Res in UN makes it more advisable than ever for us to introduce our 17 nation res. The connotation concerning Outer Mongolia is so unpleasant that I would rather see no membership deal at all this year (if this could be avoided without our getting the blame) rather than see a deal which included Outer Mongolia.” (Ibid.)

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