4.
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But the Canadians are likely to insist on putting forward their proposal. If we do not support it:
5.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(a)
we shall be out of line with the Commonwealth.
The Canadian proposals are supported by Australia and the Soviet proposals by India, Both provide for the entry of Ceylon, who is particularly anxious that the United Kingdom should promote her admission and suspects that we are doing nothing to help;
the Russians would claim that we and the United
States were responsible for blocking the admission of the African and Asian candidates such as (apart from Ceylon) Laos, Cambodia, Jordan, Libya and Nepal. They would make use of this to strengthen their influence in the Middle East and South East Asia;
it would further delay the entry of such well-
qualified states as Italy, Finland and Portugal;
a continued deadlock, particularly on an issue
of such public interest, would bring the United Nations into disrepute. Even if the United States were to take the initiative in opposing new admissions 'en bloc' the United Kingdom, because of her close links with the Middle East, the Commonwealth and South East Asia, would also be blamed.
I therefore propose to support the Canadian proposal with one modification, namely that Spain, who has since applied for admission, must be added to the list. The list would then comprise 18 states and unlike the Soviet list comprise all the outstanding applicants. When the matter was last discussed in Cabinet the view was expressed that if we had to agree to the admission of such countries as Outer Mongolia we should take the initiative in seeking the admission of Spain (C.M.(55) 31st Conclusions, Minute 7). The inclusion of Spain would of course increase the chance of securing American support of a Canadian proposal, amended as I suggest.
Recommendation
6.
I request the agreement of my colleagues to the course proposed in paragraph 5 above.
Foreign Office, S.W.1.
18th October, 1955,
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H.M.
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