214 Bruce to Commonwealth Government

U.N.R.R.A. vote on resolutions for Expansion of Control Committee taken today.

Resolution appointing Canada and France carried unanimously.

Australian resolution for the inclusion of Australia, Brazil and Yugoslavia was carried by 29 to 7 but owing to the Soviet voting against the resolution it was, under Article 8B, declared not carried.

The two votes followed each other and as the first had been carried unanimously, when ours was called I contented myself by moving it and saying that I would not repeat what I had already said in the Council but I reserved my right to speak if there was any discussion. No one spoke but when the vote was taken the Soviet voted against. The United States Delegate abstained and subsequently stated he had done so on the ground of the Soviets' opposition.

After the vote I made a somewhat crisp statement with regard to the Soviet action. Some two hours later at the close of the session the Russian delegate made a statement with regard to what I had said, to which I replied.

As this clash with the Russians caused considerable excitement I am sending you en clair the shorthand note of the four statements.

[1]

On the whole I think the episode probably did good and you see in the Soviet statement they ask for their vote against to be changed to abstention and indicate that the only reason for their action was the absence of instructions. [2]