Foreign Relations of the United States, 1955–1957, United Nations and General International Matters, Volume XI

197. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in the Republic of China¹

Washington, December 2, 1955—4:06 p.m.

329. Eyes only Ambassador. Lodge proposes making following statement Ad Hoc Committee reference admission new members.

“In this matter of the admission of new members, the United States is guided by three basic principles:

1. To bring into membership all qualified states which apply;

2. To follow the provisions of the Charter as to judging the qualifications of the applicants;

3. To avoid thwarting the will of a qualified majority by use in the Security Council of the “veto”, a voting privilege given to five nations in the expectation that it would only be used in exceptional circumstances. I recall that the Vandenberg Resolution, overwhelmingly adopted by the United States Senate in June 1948, expressed the view that there should be agreement never to use the veto to prevent the admission of new members.

In application of the foregoing principles, we shall continue to seek the admission of all qualified states which have applied. They would be members already if the great majority had its way. Only the Soviet veto, or threat of veto, bars them.

There are 6 European applicants clearly qualified for membership, namely, Austria, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Portugal and Spain. There are the 7 Asian-African applicants whose membership was recommended by the Bandung Conference for present admission, namely, Cambodia, Ceylon, Japan, Jordan, Laos, Libya and Nepal.

All of these 13 we support. We believe that there are other qualified applicants. For example, we do not believe that the Republic of Korea should be barred from membership merely because part of its territory is wrongfully and forcefully detached from the authority of what this General Assembly has held to be the only lawfully elected government in Korea. The Republic of Vietnam is another qualified applicant, barred only by Soviet veto.

We shall not support in any form the applications made for Albania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Outer Mongolia and Rumania. In our opinion, the governments of these states are not now independent, and their present subject status constitutes, or derives from, a violation of treaties and other international engagements.

The United States recognizes, however, that the issues before us are those about which there can be honest differences of opinion. For this reason, among others, it is not our intention to use the veto in the Security Council to thwart what may be the will of a qualified majority in the Security Council and in the General Assembly in relation to the subject matter of the Canadian Resolution. If and as this brings before the Security Council resolutions on admission which, in our opinion, involve infractions of the Charter, we shall, in accordance with the spirit of the Vandenberg Resolution, abstain from voting so as not to exercise, in this matter of admissions, the veto power.

We shall abstain from voting on the Canadian Resolution now before us, and on the proposed Soviet amendment thereto, because while in form this Resolution only requests the Security Council to ‘consider’ certain applications, some practical interpretations of that Resolution are such that we hesitate to vote for it lest that might seem to involve us in a departure from our principles enumerated above.

It is our earnest hope that out of the present discussion will come the admission of those qualified states whose exclusion clearly violates our Charter, and whose presence amongst us will add greatly to the wisdom of our councils and to the weight of moral authority which is exercised by this Organization.”

There may be minor textual changes but statement embodies substance US position.

Discuss with Yeh and make every effort obtain his compliance with this procedure. Your 514² indicates President Chiang adamant on decision veto Outer Mongolia. Whatever the correctness of his position there can be no question that the result of a veto would seriously endanger his government’s position in UN.

Dulles

1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 310.2/12–255. Secret; Niact. Drafted and signed for the Secretary by Robertson. Gadel 142 to USUN December 2, from Wainhouse to Lodge, contained the verbatim text of the statement on the membership item which Lodge was to make before the Ad Hoc Committee. According to Wainhouse, this statement was one “which the Secretary personally drafted and which was discussed and considered by him with his colleagues.” (Ibid.)
2. Telegram 514 from Taipei, December 2, is not printed. (Ibid.)