1. Following comments on work of Membership Committee [1] are
offered as background.

From outset it was apparent that applications for membership would
be subject to political bargaining. For this reason we made early
declaration that Committee's work was judicial, fact finding and
objective and its report must be based on requirements of the
Charter. This statement gained general acceptance under pressure
from Australia, but I fear that as work proceeds, most
representatives will be swayed by purely political considerations
and constant effort will be needed to hold Committee to objective
examination of each case. Soviet tactics have been clear from the
start. First Sobolev arranged list of applications so that Albania
and Mongolia would come first and then Soviet representative
attempted to obtain rule that a final decision should be made on
each applicant in turn. Majority, however, refused to be trapped
and should be able to prevent any recommendation being made on any
single case until all cases have been considered. The view I have
expressed to date is that the Committee should only report the
facts on each case and leave it to the Security Council to decide,
in the light of these facts, what recommendations it could make to
the General Assembly. Most others, however, think that the
Committee itself should recommend to the Security Council which
states are acceptable and which are not. The Soviet is determined
to force acceptance of its two candidates and would probably veto
others if it did not gain its way. United Kingdom instructions to
Cadogan are to the effect that if Soviet does not veto Transjordan
and Afghanistan, the United Kingdom should support Albania and
Mongolia, otherwise the United Kingdom will veto both. Although
British think that United States will support Albania, my own
information from United States delegation is that their support is
by no means certain. It is unlikely that Committee will have to
make a decision for at least another week or ten days and we will
resist any attempt to force a decision until facts have been
gathered on all applications. On the final issue I do not expect
much support for our general decision except from the Netherlands
as the permanent members seem prepared to regard the whole
question as one of political bargaining. Poland will support
Soviet, Brazil and Egypt are listless and Mexico has hitherto been
playing a rather involved game on the Committee which suggests to
me either that they have no instructions from their new Government
or they are squaring off for some bargain with the Soviet on other
matters. I am keeping you fully informed of all stages of the
Committee's work. [2]