Foreign Relations of the United States, 1950, The Near East, South Asia, and Africa, Volume V

357.AE/122–3150: Telegram

The United States Representative on the united Nations Special Committee on the Balkans (Patterson) to the Secretary of State

secret

Athens, December 31, 1950—1 p. m.

2094. Combal 708. From Patterson. Balcom 400¹ received noon December 30. Delay attributed to services. On consulting Embassy officer designated by Ambassador am informed Ambassador approves UNSCOB action.

Accordingly will introduce resolution based on telegram’s final paragraph at next meeting special committee January 3 following interim consultation with colleagues. However see Combal’s 703, 705 and 706.² Moreover a brief consultation with British colleague revealed that since British Foreign Office (as distinguished from British delegate UNSCOB) was never enthusiastic about UNSCOB’s telegram to Secretary General July 18 last,³ he in absence of evidence of change in attitude his government which preferred ignoring Zachariades and Cominform blasts would be obliged to abstain should resolution in the sense desired by the Department be presented by USDel to special committee. I personally feel that since general reaction to UNSCOB’s July 18 above-mentioned telegram was favorable no harm and possibly much good could result from communication to the Secretary General⁴ such as advised by the Department even though as indicated in telegrams cited above I have been unable to obtain any expression of belief in Athens that current free Greece and Cominform propaganda foreshadows imminent renewal of hostilities Balkan area. [Patterson.]

Peurifoy

1. Same as telegram 1994, p. 442.
2. None printed.
3. Reference is to the U.N Special Committee on the Balkans’ resolution of July 18, cited in footnote 4. p. 385.
4. On January 3, 1951, Jefferson Patterson presented to the U.N. Special Committee on the Balkans in Athens a draft telegram to U.N. Secretary-General Trygve H. Lie on the menace of Cominform propaganda to peace in the Balkans. The Special Committee modified the U.S. draft text considerably before transmitting it as a letter dated January 3, 1951, to the Secretary General of the United Nations from the Chairman of the Special Committee, Paschoal Carlos Magno. (Despatch Usdel 163, January 4, 1951, from Jefferson Patterson in Athens, 357.AE/1–451)