UNITED STATES DELEGATION TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE UNITED NATIONS NEW YORK, N.Y.
MEMORANDUM OF CONVERSATION
[Handwritten: October 28] October 29, 1952
SUBJECT: General Assembly Matters
PARTICIPANTS: Foreign Minister Unden, Swedish Delegation The Secretary of State Ward P. Allen
COPIES TO: Mr. Taylor Ambassador Gross Mr. Popper Ambassador Jessup Mr. Ross Mr. Stein, UNA Department of State-EUR (2) Secretary-General AmEmbassy-Stockholm Reference
1. Mr. Acheson began by welcoming this opportunity to obtain Minister Unden's views on major problems before the GA and inquired specifically as to his views on the Korean question. Minister Unden responded by referring to the Secretary's "masterful" speech before Committee One, stating he felt it was so reasonable and objective that Mr. Vishinsky would have a very difficult time answering it, particularly the point regarding 17 Soviet treaties recognizing the right of non-forcible repatriation. The joint resolution is very moderate in approach and Sweden has no difficulty in supporting it.
2. In response to the Secretary's question concerning the Tunisian and Moroccan cases, Minister Unden stated he feels the UN is clearly competent to deal with these matters and he hopes very much that France will not try to prevent their discussion by forcing the competence issue to a vote. He felt that France is certainly moving in the right direction in these two territories and its policy is consistent with Charter principles and obligations. The only question on which proper difference of opinion may arise relates to the speed and timing of the implementation of that policy. He feels it important for the French in the Committee to give a full exposition of their policy and program, and agreed with the Secretary's view that if there is to be a resolution it should be a moderate one which would call upon the parties to negotiate.
3. With respect to the question of the racial conflict in South Africa, the Secretary stated that we were honestly puzzled as to the best way of handling this matter in the GA, particularly in view of South African determination to force the competence issue to a vote near the outset of the debate. He felt
- 2 -
that Ambassador Jooste had made a good argument in the plenary on the competence issue but suggested that his weakest point was his insistence that it is impossible to say that friendly relations among nations have been impaired. Minister Unden expressed the view that the UN is also competent to deal with this question both on the ground of the human rights provisions of the Charter and on the ground that the policy followed is impairing friendly relations among nations. The GA's competence extends, in his view, to discussion of the issue and to passing a resolution referring generally to South Africa's obligations under the Charter but falling short of recommending alteration of specific South African legislation. Minister Unden expressed the opinion that unlike the French in North Africa, the South African Government unfortunately is almost brutally insistent in pursuing a policy of discrimination which runs counter to the general obligations of the Charter.
4. In response to the Secretary's question for interpretation of Stalin's article in the Bolshevik Magazine and the recent Party Congress, Minister Unden ventured only the opinion that he saw no real change in Soviet policy. He agreed with the Secretary's remark that it was significant that in all the recent statements emanating from the USSR there is no hint or apparent acknowledgment of the existence of any international tension or the desirability of improving relations with other countries. Minister Unden, referring to the Swedish plane incidents, suggested that it seemed of some significance that it was Beria and not a Foreign Office representative who was the spokesman of the government on this matter. This tends to show that the Soviets regard this as a police matter in whose hands the protection of the border has been placed, and not a matter of foreign policy. Indeed, he doubted that the Foreign Office even knew about the incidents until some time after they took place. He stated that the first plane shot down was some 45 miles from Soviet territorial waters and that the Soviet attack was unquestionably deliberate and designed. The plane carried telegraph equipment and operators and he supposed the Soviets might have thought that it was trying to test their signal systems or carry out some sort of reconnaissance. The second plane was much closer to the 12-mile limit, though still in international waters, and he thought the possibility exists that the Soviets made an honest mistake as to its location, although he did agree that the Soviet concept of the extent of their territorial waters was quite elastic.
5. Foreign Minister Unden stated he hopes to remain at the GA for at least another two weeks.
WPAllen:bw