October 13, 1952
MEMORANDUM
To: Mr. Van Hollen
From: J. C. Kitchen
I suggest that you give one copy of the attached memorandum of conversation to Paul Taylor for reproduction and appropriate distribution made to Members of the US Delegation, and send the other copies to S/S in Washington, with notation that it has been distributed within the USUN.
A copy of the attached memorandum has been kept for the Secretary's file.
JCK
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October 13, 1952
MEETING WITH THE AUSTRALIAN MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, MR. RICHARD CASEY
Mr. Casey called on me this afternoon at his urgent request. He had two matters on his mind, one of which was whether he should or should not speak during the first part of the general debate. He had been pressed from London to postpone taking part until the second stage, after the election.
He wished to speculate upon what the Russians would do. I said that I thought this was probably futile as a basis for his decision and I told him I would speak some time this week and would make a speech which was quiet, unprovocative, and would not put forward any imposing program for this session. He thought that Mr. Vyshinsky would make a violent speech and that this speech ought to be answered and that it ought to be answered in vigorous terms. He was prepared to do this. I said that if Vyshinsky did make such a speech, it most certainly should be answered. I thought that he and some of his colleagues should concert on various speeches in answer, and that I thought for the purpose we all had in mind the answer should be contrived more in terms of refutation than in violence of language. We had to remember that Vyshinsky's speech if it were a violent anti-western speech, would be directed to the Asian-African peoples, the people in Europe, who are worried about war, and to a lesser extent at the Latin Americans and others. Therefore it seemed to me that whichever side took a belligerent and purely propaganda view would lose. We must also guard against Vyshinsky being belligerent against the United States and apparently offering a reasonable attitude towards others. Whatever Vyshinsky's purpose, assuming a hostile speech, it seemed to me that his allegations and arguments should be painstakingly met and answered, and that it should be made clear to all concerned that all of us were attempting to reduce tensions whereas he was trying to increase them. Mr. Casey appeared to agree with this suggestion.
Dean Acheson
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