Red China Rebuff

The U.S. discovered last week that it had far more support than anticipated in keeping Red China out of the United Nations. After ten days of denunciation and debate, of palaver and politicking, the issue at last came before the General Assembly--and the U.S. won by a handier margin than last year.

First item was the U.S.-inspired proposal that held that any change in China's representation was an "important question" requiring a two-thirds vote for action. To get this proposal accepted required only a simple majority. It got far more than that, carrying by 61 to 34. Next came an amendment by Cambodia, Ceylon and Indonesia, which in effect urged the admission to the U.N. of two Chinas--the Red mainland and Nationalist Formosa. It was voted down 45-30, with 28 abstentions.

Finally, the Assembly voted on the vital Soviet Union resolution, a hard-nosed declaration that would not only grant China's seat to the Peking Communists, but would also give the Reds what amounted to a U.N. blessing in conquering Formosa. The Russian resolution could not even win a simple majority, and was defeated 48-36, with 20 abstentions. The roll call:

FOR ADMISSION

Afghanistan

Albania

Britain

Bulgaria

Burma

Byelorussia

Cambodia

Ceylon

Cuba

Czechoslovakia

Denmark

Ethiopia

Finland

Ghana

Guinea

India

Hungary

Indonesia

Iraq

Mali

Mongolia

Morocco

Nepal

Pakistan

Poland

Rumania

Sierra Leone

Somalia

Soviet Union

Sudan

Sweden

Syria

Ukraine

U.A.R.

Yemen

Yugoslavia

AGAINST ADMISSION

Argentina

Australia

Belgium

Bolivia

Brazil

Cameroon

Canada

Chile

China

Colombia

Costa Rica

Dominican Republic

Ecuador

El Salvador

France

Gabon

Greece

Guatemala

Haiti

Honduras

Iran

Ireland

Italy

Japan

Jordan

Laos

Liberia

Libya

Luxembourg

Malagasy Republic

Malaya

Mauritania

Mexico

New Zealand

Nicaragua

Panama

Paraguay

Peru

Philippines

Senegal

South Africa

Spain

Tanganyika

Thailand

Turkey

U.S.

Uruguay

Venezuela

ABSTAINING

Austria

Central African Republic

Chad

Congo (Brazzaville)

Congo (Leopoldville)

Cyprus

Dahomey

Iceland

Israel

Ivory Coast

Lebanon

The Netherlands

Niger

Nigeria

Norway

Portugal

Saudi Arabia

Togo

Tunisia

Upper Volta

Britain voted to support the resolution, because it recognizes Red China. The African vote showed that the U.S. had gambled successfully for African sympathy in the Mauritania-Outer Mongolia deal (in which the U.S. prevented a Russian veto of Mauritania's admission in exchange for not vetoing Outer Mongolia).

U.S. Ambassador Adlai Stevenson, who had maneuvered skillfully throughout, declared himself "gratified" that Nationalist China's rights in the U.N. had been reinforced, while Russia's Valerian Zorin said he was convinced that "many nations who were compelled to vote against or abstain from this resolution will vote in favor at the next session."

Zorin did not sound especially convincing. Many observers noted that Russia's presentation of Red China's case was perfunctory in manner--and yet so excessive in substance that it had no chance whatever of being carried. At the same time, the customary worldwide Moscow propaganda campaign in support of Red Chinese admission was lacking. Plausible conclusion: at the present time, Russia has no real desire to see dogmatic and intransigent Red China standing farther to the left in the U.N. Security Council and throwing its weight around.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.