1. When the debate on the report of the Security Council was
resumed by the Executive Committee this morning, the United States
delegation made a statement on their general position regarding
the Security Council. As the Americans in the Technical Committee
had given considerable backing to the Soviet in their policy of
hands off the Security Council, this statement represents a
substantial change of front as a result of Australian, Canadian
and Netherlands protests of the previous day, although,
characteristically, the United States represents the new position
as due to its own liberality and wisdom.

2. With the Canadian and Netherlands delegations, the Australian
delegation accepted a compromise draft prepared by the United
States in which points relating to:

(a) The Security Council's obligation under Article 24; and,
(b) The desirability of prompt assumption of its powers, were
worked into preamble to recommendations instead of being made the
subject of a separate recommendation.

The report was then adopted without discussion.

3. The Australian delegation again made it clear that we were not
expressing any lack of confidence in the Security Council but
rather were assuming that it would act in accordance with the
Charter. Our objection was to the idea that the affairs of the
Security Council were not the concern of other members of the
United Nations. [1] The debate leaves us in a good position to
maintain this view before the Security Council.

4. The Soviet view on the nature of the Security Council was
further revealed in consideration of the report of the Committee
on Secretariat (PC/EX/106). The Soviet objected to the
recommendation that the internal organisation of Secretariat
should be on a functional basis, each administrative unit being at
the disposal of any organ of the United Nations for performance of
work falling within its competence. The Soviet wanted the Security
Council to have separate staff entirely of its own, whereas the
Committee recommended the creation of a department for the
maintenance of international peace and security serving either the
Security Council or the Assembly as required. On being defeated by
11 votes to 3, the Soviet opposed the adoption of all other
recommendations of the Committee, but gained no further support,
and the report as a whole was adopted.