Cablegram 663 LONDON, 30 January 1946, 12.56 a.m.
MOST IMMEDIATE PERSONAL SECRET
Security Council 7.
Security Council.
Meeting of five permanent members was held last night and they reached compromise agreement on candidate for the Secretary General, namely, Lie of Norway. in the meantime your direction had been observed and Gromyko had been advised that Australia felt that Lie would be the best candidate from their point of view, in preference to Pearson. [1] Gromyko was more than interested and asked did we think it would be acceptable to the other members. We assured him it was a most likely probability, in view of the deadlock. Consequently when the Council met in secret session this evening, we were gratified to learn that the United States had proposed Lie and that it had been unanimously accepted. The Council then proceed[ed] to secret ballot in accordance with the rules and vote for the nomination of Lie was unanimous. It was decided as suppression of this fact would be impossible, to make immediate announcement.
Discussion ensued as to period of chairmanship and French text ‘during one calendar month’ was relied on. The United States proposed that it would be more convenient, and more certain, to indicate what would be regarded as an historic date, namely, the seventeenth, the date of the election of the first president as the commencement of each term of office. This was agreed to.
It is clear, as I have indicated, that Australia played a considerable part in first raising name of Lie in ensuring his nomination as compromise candidate.
The press here are requesting information as to what state first advanced his name, but I have felt this disclosure might be regarded as a breach of confidence, and have been non committal.
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1 See Document 33.
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[AA:A3195, 1946, 1.2709]