Cablegram 780 NEW YORK, 21 August 1947, 8 p.m.
SECRET
Security 459. New Members.
1. Council today took up applications from ex-enemies.
2. Hungary. Supported by Syria, United States voted against.
Others abstained.
Syria explained [it] would support all applications from sovereign states who declared they were able and willing to fulfil Charter obligations.
3. Italy. United States spoke strongly in favour of immediate admission. We then spoke and introduced resolution (paragraph 5 our 768), amending second recital to read ‘having noted that treaty of peace with Italy though not yet in force has been ratified by Italy’. [1] We pointed out that Italy fulfilled all criteria of membership and that rejection of her application would be unjust. We added that our resolution presented Assembly’s rights and also met views of those who opposed admission of ex- enemies on ground that they were not Sovereign. United Kingdom immediately supported us and stated on account of legal difficulties he could not give an affirmative vote for an immediate recommendation. This may have influenced other speakers, and United States was prepared to allow vote on our resolution rather than force a direct vote, which might not have had a majority and in light of events, would also have been vetoed.
U.S.S.R. opposed our draft on grounds that (a) It by-passed Council and (b) Council could take no decision till treaties were in force.
Nine voted for our resolution but U.S.S.R. vetoed it. Poland abstained.
4. Austria. United States spoke strongly. At request of other Delegates we introduced a resolution on lines of Italian resolution above but it met same fate from U.S.S.R. France abstained.
5. Roumania and Bulgaria. Supported by Syria. Others abstained.
6. In circumstances Council will recommend only Yemen and Pakistan for membership. After votes were taken United States strongly deplored this impasse reached by Council and pointed to fact that only 6 out of 16 applicants had been admitted in 2 years. In many cases rejections were on quite irrelevant grounds. To overcome deadlock United States introduced following resolution, explaining that it felt that matter should be put before all of United Nations whose two-thirds vote United States would accept.
‘The Security Council has given careful consideration to the requests for admission to membership of Albania, Mongolian People’s Republic, Transjordan, Eire Portugal, Hungary, Italy, Austria, Roumania and Bulgaria.
In view of difference of opinion as to the application to the states mentioned in the preceding paragraph of the criteria for admission to the United Nations set forth in Article 4 of the Charter, and in order to prevent these differences from causing further indefinite delays in the admission of states which a number of members of the Security Council deem qualified for membership.
The Security Council requests the General Assembly to consider the qualifications of the above-mentioned applicants and will, in this instance, immediately recommend to the General Assembly the readmission of any of the above-mentioned applicants which the General Assembly shall have considered qualified for admission.’
7. U.S.S.R. vehemently opposed this resolution as being ‘senseless’. We welcomed it as being consistent with our general view of Assembly’s paramountcy, and embodying principles for which we had fought for for almost two years.
In view, however, of Gromyko’s attitude Johnson stated that it was a mere waste of time to pursue his resolution further as the Soviet Representative clearly intended to veto it. He then withdrew it.
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1 The Australian draft resolution described Italy as ‘a peace loving state able and willing to carry out the obligations contained in the Charter of the United Nations …’
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[AA : A1838, 854/10/14, ii]