Cablegram 592 LONDON, 25 January 1946, 11.10 p.m.
MOST IMMEDIATE SECRET
Security Council 4.
1. Second formal meeting of the Security Council was held at three p.m. today. Discussion of items 7, 9, 10 and 13 of the Provisional Agenda (see report of Preparatory Commission, Pages 24-25 [1]) was deferred to later meetings.
2. Item 8. The Council adopted the directive to the Military Staff Committee proposed by the Preparatory Commission [and] agreed that the Staff Committee should meet in London by 1st February. Russian doubts as to whether its Representatives (the names of which Vyshinsky announced) could reach London before 3rd February, were met by the adoption of a suggestion that if the Russian Representatives could not reach London by 1st February the Meeting of the Staff Committee could be adjourned for a few days.
Vyshinsky undertook to do everything possible to ensure their arrival by 1st February.
3. I then drew the attention of the Council to the Iranian letter of 19th January [2], the Soviet letter of 21St January, the Ukrainian letter of 21St January [3] and the Soviet letter of 24th January [4], commenting on the Iranian letter. I asked whether there was any objection to the matters raised in the first three letters being placed on the Council’s Agenda. As no formal objection was raised, these matters were placed on the Agenda with the understanding that they would be dealt with at the next meeting of the Council on 28th January.
4. During a short discussion Vyshinsky asked for confirmation of his understanding that when the Iranian question was dealt with the Soviet Delegation would not be precluded from presenting its view that the Iranian appeal lacked grounds and should not be considered by the Council. I said that when the matter was discussed at the next meeting it would be for the Council to decide in what way it would wish to deal with this item and the Delegation would have the opportunity of moving whatever resolution it desired. Mr. Bevin stated that the United Kingdom Government welcomed the opportunity of making a full statement re Greece and the position in Indonesia. He said he was ‘tired’ of hearing constant Russian complaints about Greece and was in favour of full discussion of the matter. The Netherlands Representative said that his Government had no objection to the question of Indonesia being placed on the Agenda.
5. Mr. Bevin also said that when a complainant Country was not a member of the Security Council it should have the right to be heard by the Council. It was agreed that Iran, Greece and Ukraine should be invited to attend.
6. Before the Meeting closed, I informed the Council that a letter had been received from the Yugoslav Delegation asking, on behalf of the Government of Albania that Albania should be admitted as a Member of the United Nations. Russia and Poland indicated that they would support this application but as the letter had not been translated or distributed further consideration of this matter was deferred until the next Meeting of the Council.
7. On the whole I am well satisfied with the result of today’s meeting. The three situations brought to the attention of the Security Council have been included in the Agenda and will be discussed. Countries not Members of the Security Council have been invited to attend when matters in which they are concerned are under consideration. Though Bevin showed his resentment at recent Russian criticism regarding Greece there were some joking asides between Vyshinsky and Bevin which relieved the tension.
8. There is no further information today about the Secretary General.
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1 Items 7, 9, 10 and 13 pertained to the appointment of the Secretary-General, debate about the composition and Organisation of the Secretariat and the means of concluding the ‘special agreements’ refered to in Article 43 of the U.N. Charter, and the election of members to the International Court of Justice.
2 See Document 39, note 3 See Document 44, note 1.
4 The U.S.S.R. letter of 24 January denied interference in Iranian affairs and maintained that settlement of the dispute should be punned through continued bilateral negotiations outside the Security Council.
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[AA:A1838 T189, 854/10/2, i]