Cablegram UN375 NEW YORK, 21 August 1946, 4.50 p.m.
SECRET
Security 140.
(1) At the final meeting last night, the Membership Committee received Trans-Jordan’s reply to the questionnaire [1], an additional statement from Albania and a letter from Siam declaring that Peace Talks with France were under way, expressing confidence in agreement and asking for favourable consideration of the application. France maintained that a state of war still existed and that talks with Siam in Washington had not yet advanced beyond preliminary contact.
(2) The Soviet announced support for Sweden and Iceland.
(3) Poland made their statement on Trans-Jordan maintaining that procedure required for legally terminating mandate had not been followed and that the appropriate organ of the United Nations which had assumed the exercise of certain powers and functions of the League should reconsider the whole question of Trans-Jordan and that application should be postponed for a year. The United Kingdom made a brief reply.
(4) The Committee then worked on the draft report which was completed late at night and approved subject to a reservation by Australia, the text of which is given in our immediately succeeding telegram. [2] During discussion some feeling was aroused by Soviet insistence that a sentence should be inserted in the report stating that the applications of Albania and Mongolia received different treatment from other applications. The United States, United Kingdom and other Delegations insisted equally strongly that the Committee had acted in complete fairness. The outcome is that while the Soviet view is recorded, it will be followed by a statement in the name of all other delegations except Poland upholding the Committee’s procedure.
(5) The report summarises objectively discussion on each applicant and states the conclusion that in each case except Mongolia, the Committee’s report provided sufficient basis for decision by Members of the Security Council. Regarding Mongolia, conclusion is that the Committee was divided on the question whether sufficient information was available. The attitude of various delegations is stated as follows:-
Albania. Soviet and Poland support, France expresses sympathy, United States reserves the [3] position.
Mongolia. Soviet and Poland support, several others reserve opinion, China suggests postponement.
Afghanistan. Ten Delegations support.
Trans-Jordan. The United Kingdom and Egypt support, the Netherlands regards the application favourably, Poland expresses doubt and proposes postponement, the Soviet opposes.
Eire. The United Kingdom, United States, China, France, Brazil, Mexico, Netherlands support, Soviet opposes.
Portugal. United Kingdom, United States, France, China, Brazil, Netherlands, Mexico support, Poland expresses doubt, Soviet opposes.
Iceland. United States, United Kingdom and Mexico support.
Siam. The United Kingdom, China and United States support, France and Sweden oppose. Australia and Netherlands take note of the existence of a state of war between Siam and France.
Sweden. Ten Delegations support.
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1 After doubts had been cast on Trans-Jordan’s independence ‘in fact or in law’, the Membership Committee had decided to seek further information regarding its territorial integrity, political independence, budget, and treaty of alliance with the United Kingdom.
2 Document 81.
3 Presumably ‘the’ should read ‘its’.
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[AA:A1067, M46/26/2]