180



FOREIGN RELATIONS, 1 9 4 6, VOLUME I



to contemplate the prospect of the veto but after having suggested a
candidate and having found he was not likely to be accepted he
thought the best course was to settle upon a candidate who was agree-
able to both the United States and the USSR. Mr. Stevenson suggested
the name of Mr. Evatt of Australia. Mr. Bloom thought he would not
be suitable.
  Mr. Walker said he thought it might be necessary to stay with
Mr. Pearson since there did not appear to be general agreement in
the Delegation.
  Mr. Dulles said he was prepared to go along with the position of
having Mr. Pearson as the first choice and Mr. Lie as the second and
would take no public position against it. He said he thought this was
a question of individual judgment and not an issue of principle and
that it was upon issues of principle that he wanted to be free to
disagree.
  Mr. Pasvolsky outlined the positions of the members of the Security
Council as of Wednesday evening. He said the United States and
Brazil were unequivocably for Pearson. China favored Pearson and
had given a long statement of its reasons. Egypt had favored Pearson
but felt that Lie was a very adequate second choice. France favored
anyone on whom the other members of the Big Five could agree, had
dropped Bonnet, and expressed a personal preference for van Kleffens.
The Netherlands payed tribute to both Pearson and Lie on even
grounds. Australia favored Lie as first choice and Pearson as second.
Russia favored the Polish Foreign Minister, Wincenty Rzymowski,
as first choice and Simic of Yugoslavia as second. Poland agreed with
Russia and also thought the selection was a political matter. Concern-
ing the British position, Mr. Bevin had expressed a personal prefer-
ence for Mr. Jebb, but would be happy, however, with Mr. Pearson.
Mexico had dodged the issue and said the big powers should agree
and the smaller powers would then make up their minds. Egypt had
said the big powers should agree on two or three acceptable candidates.
  Mr. Pasvolsky reiterated that if Lie is the ultimate choice his can-
didacy should come not from the United States but from some other
nation and that if the inclination were toward Mr. Lie we should
agree. However, at the next discussion with Security Council members
we should begin by standing firm for Mr. Pearson.
  Mr. Dulles thought it would be possible to get a 9 to 2 vote and
Mr. Stevenson added that he felt the United States had not worked
hard enough for it. Mr. Pasvolsky thought it would be possible to