Your teletype No. 331, 6th April†, and previous correspondence, admission of new members to the United Nations. In a letter dated 6th April to the Secretary General (Document S/712) † the Ukrainian representative has asked that the provisional agenda of the next meeting of the Security Council include "the question of the admission to the United Nations of Bulgaria, Hungary, Roumania, Finland and Italy, States with which the Peace Treaties were concluded, and also of Albania and the Mongolian People's Republic."

2. At a meeting of the permanent members yesterday the question of the admission of new members was considered. Gromyko repeated his view that the admission of Italy should be considered together with the applications of Bulgaria, Finland, Hungary and Roumania. He also tried to have the admission of Transjordan taken up together with that of Albania and the Mongolian People's Republic. The United States, United Kingdom and France refused again to consider a "deal" of this character and insisted that each application be voted on separately and on its merits. These three States, on United States initiative, submitted yesterday a formal request that, in addition to Italy and Transjordan and the States named by the Ukrainian representative in his letter of 6th April, the Security Council should reconsider the applications of Austria, Eire and Portugal. Thus all outstanding applications will be up for reconsideration when the Council meets again on this subject. The United States are pressing to have the President of the Council call a meeting on the admission of members for Friday, 9th April (tomorrow).

3. Despite the failure of the permanent members to agree on the other applications before them the application of Burma is unaffected and will come up for consideration by the Council, in accordance with the virtually unanimous report of the Council's Committee on the admission of new members (reference my teletype No. 361, 29th March).†

4. In regard to all these applications for membership, the United States will press to have the Council take them up in the order in which they were submitted for consideration. In this way Italy and Transjordan would be dealt with first, then the Soviet satellites and, finally, Austria, Eke and Portugal. The United Kingdom strongly support this procedure. Both the United Kingdom and the United States will strongly oppose reference of these applications to the Committee on membership again and will press for their consideration in the Council as expeditiously as possible. Neither the United Kingdom nor the United States plan to make any lengthy statements on any of these applications, although both delegations will probably make a short statement in support of Italy's application.

5. The United States position is now apparently to vote against (rather than to abstain on) the applications of Bulgaria, Hungary, Roumania, Albania and the Mongolian People's Republic. In regard to Finland, the United States have not apparently yet made any definite decision but will probably abstain or vote in favour. The United States draws a definite distinction between Finland and the other Soviet satellites. The United Kingdom have not yet received complete instructions but their delegation here hopes that they will also vote against rather than abstain on the Soviet satellites. (The United Kingdom previously abstained on Hungary and Roumania.) With regard to Finland, the United Kingdom also have not definitely decided but it is unlikely that they will vote against (the United Kingdom supported Finland's application previously). Concerning Austria, the United Kingdom have not received definite instructions but it is unlikely that they will vote against it. Previously they took the view (contrary to the United States) that Austria could not properly be considered an independent State, capable of carrying out its obligations under Article 4, in view of the presence of the Allied Control Commission. The United Kingdom may take the line that they will support Austria's application subject to the general Assembly approving a Resolution that Austria is, in effect, sufficiently independent to carry out its obligations under Article 4.

6. In view of the above, I would appreciate your instructions on how I should vote in regard to these applications. At present my instructions extend only to supporting the applications of Italy, Transjordan and Burma for membership. I would also appreciate knowing whether you wish me to make any statement in regard to these applications, particularly as regards Italy.