SECRET
C.P. (55) 157
18th October, 1955
Printed for the Cabinet. October 1955
CABINET
Page 25
Copy No. 64
SPAIN
NOTE BY THE PARLIAMENTARY UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES
With reference to the Foreign Secretary's Memorandum C.P. (55) 147 about Spain, I circulate a note setting out opinions on this subject expressed to the Colonial Secretary during his recent visit to Gibraltar by the political leaders there.
L.
Colonial Office, S.W. 1,
17th October, 1955.
RELATIONS WITH SPAIN: OPINIONS OF POLITICAL LEADERS
IN GIBRALTAR
Political leaders in Gibraltar spoke with strong feeling of the effect of Spanish restrictions which are being maintained without relaxation and which seriously affect the economy of the Colony. In particular, the refusal to renew permits involves progressive reduction of the essential Spanish labour force which, if continued at present rate, will lead to complete disappearance of this labour force in a very few years. Much dissatisfaction was expressed at the apparent impotence of Her Majesty's Government in the face of these hostile measures. The alleged policy of drift has led, in their view, to a serious decline of confidence in Gibraltar in the City, and they maintain it has now become impossible to attract investment in the Colony from that source.
2. On the other hand, there was unanimous agreement that any attempt to bargain with Spain over this question by offering support for admittance to the United Nations in exchange for removal of discriminations against Gibraltar would be a psychological mistake and would only have a harmful effect. There was emphatic general support for the view that in the long run the best hope for Gibraltar lay in a re-establishment of friendly relations between the United Kingdom and Spain and support for Spain's admittance to United Nations would be one way of fostering this. They emphasised, however, that it would be essential to couple this with a clear-cut statement of Her Majesty's Government's firm intention to maintain sovereignty over Gibraltar. They also considered it was essential to make plain to the Spaniards that there could be no differentiation between Gibraltar and the United Kingdom in any Anglo-Spanish treaties and that continuation of the present discriminatory restrictions against Gibraltar would be inconsistent with any general improvement in Anglo-Spanish relations.
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Reference
SAB129, CAB 129/78
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(THIS DOGUMENTHE PROPERTY OF HER BRITANNIC MAJCYERNMENT)
SECRET
C.P.(55) 158
19th October, 1955
CABINET
COPY NO. 66
UNITED NATIONS: ADMISSION OF NEW MEMBERS
Memorandum by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs
In C.F.(55) 124 I informed my colleagues that I was sounding the United States and French Governments on a Canadian proposal, supported by the Australian Government, that a prior understanding should be reached with the Soviet Government which would provide for the admission of the following 17 "qualified" applicants:
Albania
Austria
Bulgaria
Cambodia
Ceylon
Finland Hungary
Laos
Libya
Irish Republic Italy
Nepal
Japan
Outer Mongolia Portugal
Jordan
2.
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
за
(e)
Roumania
Since then the following developments have taken place:-
the Spanish Government have applied for
United Nations membership;
the Russians are proposing the admission
'en bloc' of all the applicants listed above except Japan. They will not at this stage` agree to the admission of either Japan or Spain;
Mr. Dulles has said (in private conversation
with M. Pinay, M. Molotov and myself) that he will not agree to the membership of Hungary, Bulgaria, Roumania or Outer Mongolia;
the French favour some forward move, primarily
with the admission of Italy in mind; but they are worried about the admission of so many anti-colonials;
the Canadian Government are persevering with
their proposal for the admission of their original list of 17 candidates.
*
The Soviet proposal is likely to be defeated by United States
If the matter were allowed to rest there, a stop would have opposition. been put to the entry of more "anti-colonials", of undesirables such as Page:27 Roumania, Bulgaria and Albania, and of a chngfd27ef33lch
questionable qualifications as Outer Mongolia.
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