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Documents on Canadian External Relations
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Volume #12 - 428. | |
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CHAPTER VIII UNITED NATIONS | |
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PART
3 FIRST SESSION OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY | |
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SECTION
B SECOND PART (OCTOBER 23 — DECEMBER 15) | |
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SUB-SECTION
I GENERAL | |
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428. |
DEA/5475-L-40 |
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Memorandum from Associate Under-Secretary of State for External Affairs to Head, Second Political Division | |
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Ottawa,
August 31st, 1946 | |
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I had a talk with Mr. St. Laurent yesterday evening about the general line which should be taken at the Assembly. He expressed himself as being opposed to the Canadian delegation taking an active part in the discussion of issues which were unlikely to result in any decisions of importance. He felt that we should be actively and competently represented when budgetary and administrative matters were up but that we ought to leave it to others to wrangle over matters which were essentially in political dispute. He is also opposed to our standing for the Security Council as he thinks that we could do nothing to make it less impotent than it is now. I think your draft resolution on Chapter VI of the Charter is one of the matters covered by the view he expressed and we, therefore, should not discuss it in advance. I return here with your letter to Ignatieff. I am confident that if an offer were made to have the Assembly go on record in this sense it would lead to a prolonged wrangle which would involve not only the substance of the resolution but also the competence of the Assembly. Mr. St. Laurent's attitude is that we should keep quiet except when questions requiring practical decisions arise. I think that he would be quite ready to make a statement at the Assembly to this general effect. He is, however, very much concerned over the financial aspects arising in this connection and feels we should be thoroughly ready and prepared to be active on scales of contribution, budgetary control, etc. H. W[RONG] | |
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