501.BB/10–649: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the United States Representative at the United Nations (Austin)
Gadel 46. Dept after comparing draft resolutions Delga 66 and Gadel 28 has prepared suggested revised draft combining best features of both drafts and has foil observations:
- 1.
- Dept agrees Delga 66 preamble. Only reason for ref in preamble Dept first draft to grave charges was to increase acceptability of res to Chinese Del and thus to forestall Chinese proposal unacceptable to US.
- 2.
- With respect to first para Delga draft Dept considers desirable to avoid phraseology of nine-power treaty because of undesirable associations. Furthermore Delga text likely to strengthen whatever [Page 201] govt controlling China. Since probably unfriendly Communist govt will shortly control China res shld limit US freedom of action as little as possible. Dept does not agree that omission of para wld be glaring omission since remainder res does not foil closely nine-power treaty text. Dept is suggesting revised text using Charter language to accomplish same objective.
- 3.
- Dept is proposing revised wording of third para of Delga res. Phrase extraterritorial rights is omitted since Sovs have consistently made great propaganda point of fact that Sov Union was the first to give up such rights voluntarily in China. Phrase special regimes or administrations seems ambiguous and is changed to foreign controlled regimes. Revised para also stresses future rather than past acts and seeks to avoid phraseology which might be used effectively for propaganda purposes against US. For example, inclusion words “encouraging, facilitating or participating” might bring up question US role at Yalta1 and at same time undesirably limit US freedom of action.
- 4.
- Dept considers that any ref in res to a govt “responsive to popular will” wld be unrealistic under circumstances now existing in China.
Foil is suggested revised text of draft res:
“Whereas the peoples of the UN have expressed in the Charter of the UN their determination to practice tolerance and to live together in peace with one another as good neighbors and to unite their strength to maintain international peace and security, and to that end the Members of the UN have obligated themselves to carry out the purposes and principles set forth in the Charter, and
“Whereas it is a purpose of the UN to develop friendly relations among nations based on respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples, and
“Whereas the organization of the UN is based on the principle of the sovereign equality of all its members, and
“Mindful of the existence of disturbed conditions in China,
“The GA
“Calls upon all states:
- “(1) To respect the sovereignty of China and to refrain from the threat or use of force against its territorial integrity or political independence;
- “(2) To respect the right of the Chinese people now and in the future to choose freely their political institutions and to maintain a govt independent of foreign control; and
- “(3) To refrain from (a) seeking to acquire spheres of influence or to create foreign controlled regimes within the territory of China or (b) seeking to obtain special rights or privileges anywhere in the territory of China.”
5. Dept believes sponsorship of res by group of powers including South East Asian States but not US wld add moral force, eliminate undesirable associations with “imperialist powers” and avoid placing [Page 202] US in forefront. Dept however recognizes possible operational difficulty under such circumstances of assuring satisfactory text.
Your comments requested.
- For documentation on the Yalta Conference, see Foreign Relations, The Conferences at Malta and Yalta, 1945.↩