Cablegram UN327 PERSONAL NEW YORK, 2 August 1946
1. Following comments on work of Membership Committee [1] are offered as background.
From outset it was apparent that applications for membership would be subject to political bargaining. For this reason we made early declaration that Committee’s work was judicial, fact finding and objective and its report must be based on requirements of the Charter. This statement gained general acceptance under pressure from Australia, but I fear that as work proceeds, most representatives will be swayed by purely political considerations and constant effort will be needed to hold Committee to objective examination of each case. Soviet tactics have been clear from the start. First Sobolev arranged list of applications so that Albania and Mongolia would come first and then Soviet representative attempted to obtain rule that a final decision should be made on each applicant in turn. Majority, however, refused to be trapped and should be able to prevent any recommendation being made on any single case until all cases have been considered. The view I have expressed to date is that the Committee should only report the facts on each case and leave it to the Security Council to decide, in the light of these facts, what recommendations it could make to the General Assembly. Most others, however, think that the Committee itself should recommend to the Security Council which states are acceptable and which are not. The Soviet is determined to force acceptance of its two candidates and would probably veto others if it did not gain its way. United Kingdom instructions to Cadogan are to the effect that if Soviet does not veto Transjordan and Afghanistan, the United Kingdom should support Albania and Mongolia, otherwise the United Kingdom will veto both. Although British think that United States will support Albania, my own information from United States delegation is that their support is by no means certain. It is unlikely that Committee will have to make a decision for at least another week or ten days and we will resist any attempt to force a decision until facts have been gathered on all applications. On the final issue I do not expect much support for our general decision except from the Netherlands as the permanent members seem prepared to regard the whole question as one of political bargaining. Poland will support Soviet, Brazil and Egypt are listless and Mexico has hitherto been playing a rather involved game on the Committee which suggests to me either that they have no instructions from their new Government or they are squaring off for some bargain with the Soviet on other matters. I am keeping you fully informed of all stages of the Committee’s work. [2]
_
1 See Documents 18, 46 and 49.
2 In cablegram UN337 of 5 August, the Australian delegation advised Evatt that the Membership Committee had received further applications from Ireland, Portugal, Iceland and Siam.
_
[SFU:EVATT COLLECTION, EXTERNAL AFFAIRS-ORIGINAL VILE (b)]