S/PV.476 Security Council

Before taking up the agenda, t should like to express to my predecessor in the Chair, our old friend Sir Benegal N. Rau, the Council's thanks and admiration for the distii1g11ished way in which he has conducted our deliberations at. a crucial jllncture in the life of our Organization. Sir Benegal N. RAu (India): I should like to express my thanks to the President for the kind remarks which, with his cllstomary courtesy, he has just made, and l Shollitl also like to express the hope that his tenn of o[-fice "'lill be less stormy than mine. i 2. Ad'Ülptiou of the agenda 3. GOlllli)laiut of aggressioll UP0ll. the ll:lepublic of Km'ca (colttinued) At the invitation IiJf the President, Mr. John M. Chang, 1'epresentative of the Rejmblic of Korea, tool~ his piace at the' C02Lncil table. . This is a United Nations action. But the ideals and principles for which 'we work here are making far greater demands on the soldiers who are plodding through the mud south of Suwon. Many of them have already given their lives in our cause and l think it isonly fitting and natural that as President of the S'ecurity Council l should paya tribute to them. Let us hope that we shall not fall too far behind these men in our determination and in our dedication to the ideals for which they are giving their lives. Îsince our last meeting, wehave had a number al communications from .Member Governments, and they have been distributed to the members of the Security Council in documents numbered from S/1540 to S/1586. If any member so desires, a résumé' will be read, but l do not think it is necessary. l shaH simply draw attention to a communication from a member of the Security Council. In a cablegram dated 6 July 1950, document S/1579, from the Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, it is stated that the USSR Government's reply to the cablegram from the Secretary-General of 29 June has already been given in the cablegram of 29 June, document S/1517. In that cablegram it was stated that the resolution adopted by the Security Council on 27 June [474th meeting] had no legal force since it had been adopted by six votes, the seventh vote being that of the Kuoluintang representative, and in the absence of two permanent members of the Security Council, the Union of .Soviet Socialist Re- publics and China, whereas 1.1l1der the United Nations Charter such an important decision could be made only with the concurring votes of al! five permanent members of the Secu' eoun~ With this preface, therefore, may l be permitted to make certain explanatory remarks in regard to the various paragraphs of the draft resolution. l do not think l need say much about the preamble, since it merely repeats what the Council has already determined and recommended [473,'d and 474th meetings]. Paragraph 1 of the operative part will, l hope, be agreeable to everybody here. It is right that the Council should at this stage welcome the astonishingly wide- spread and wholehearted support which has been given by the great majority of Members of the United Na- tions ta the stand whichthe Security Council has taken on the recent act of open aggression. Perltaps, how- ever, l should draw attention to the last ten words of paragraph 1, which indicate that such support has been forthcoming with thespecific purpose of dealing with the armed attack which has tl11happily taken place in Korea. There is not much ta say about paragraph 2, but paragraph 3 is, of course, of great importance, It is c1ear to all concerned that a unified command is essen- tial if confusion is ta be avoided, and paragraph 3, therefore, provides for such a tl11ified commando Had the Charter come fully into force and had the agree- ment provided for in Article 43 of the Charter been concltlded, we should, of course, have proceeded differently, and the action to be taken by the Security Council to repel the armed attack would no doubt have been founded on Article 42. As it is, however, the Council can naturally act only under Article 39, which enables the Security Council ta recommend what measures should be taken to restore international peace and security. The necessary recommenc1ations were duly made in the resolutions of 25 and 27 June, but in the nature of things they could only be recom- mendations to individual Members of the United Nations. It could not therefore be the United Nations or the Security Council which themselves appointed a United Nations commander. AlI the Security Council j 1 now come to paragraph S, which authorizes the unified command at its discretion ta use the United Nations flag in certain specified cases concurrently \vith the flags of the various :'Iember States that are par- ticipating in the operations. This is indeed a novel proposaI, and it is designed essentially ta emphasize the unitv of an those uations that are now banded together' for a common pm'pose. and ta indicate that they are acting in accordance with a higher law than one which is dictated merely by narrow national inter- ests. vVe an know, of course, that there are technical difficulties as regards the f1ying of flags and the precise circumstances in which they are used. The present paragraph S, therefore, while it dearly authorizes the unified command to use the United Nations flag, also indicates that this should be done in accordance with the good j'ttdgment of the commander of an the vari- ous national forces concerned, It is clear that if my colleagues agree with the suggested wording-and 1 must say 1 trust they will, since it has not been ve~"y easy ih our primary soundings to arrive at a precise formulation-it will he for the commander to draw up suitable regulations in agreement with the com- manders of the various national forces under his command. FinaUy, paragraph 6 requests the United States to provide the Security Council with certain reports. This is desirable since the Security Council ought to be informed of the effects of the action which wc hope will now ~p taken. In any case, this paragraph c1earIy recognizes the paramount interests of the Council in the efforts which the Members of the United Nations are collectively making ta restore the situation in Korea. ' , If there is any further action which ought to be takenby the Security Council in the Iight of coming events and as a result of the experience of the unified com1Uand, no doubt we shall be duly apprised at this table. In conclusion, l should Iike ta say ,a word regard- ing any possible constitution of further machinery by the Security Council. We believe that in spite of the suggestions wh'ich have been canvassed in the Press and elsewhere, tnere is no real need for such machinery, :n.t any rate, at the present time. In any event, since we believe the Security Council is acting' under Article 39 of ~he Charter, its function is not an operative one; aU 1t should do is to make sure that the individual efforts of the Members concerned are. properly co- .ordinated. If the present draft resolution is accepted the ~'~t;Qtiricil wHI, at any rate from titrte to time, consider ~tîcl1 reports as are made available to it by the United States. If those reports should show that further action is ,needed, 1 have no doubt that the SCt:llrity Cotlncïl will agrj:e to take it. In the meantime, l beIieve that :\11'. CIIAVVEL (France) (tl'cl/lslatetl j"om French) : The French delegation is happy to join the United Kingdom delegation insubmitting ta the COlmcil the drait resolution before it. !ts pttrpose is far-reaching and simple. On receiving notice of the launching of an attack southwards from the 38th paralIe! by the North Korean forces, the COllncil, on 25 June, called for the immediate cessa- tion of hostilities, ordered the North Km'ean authori- tics tu withdraw their troops and called upon l\fember States to co-operate fully with the United Xations in implementing its l'l'solution. As the North Korean authorities completely disre- garded that resolution and as the situation on the spot threatened to deteriorate rapidly, the United States Governmcnt, in reply to the invitation of the Council, and making use of the special facilities at its disposaI. took, on 27 June, the first steps immediately necessary to give effect to the will of the Council. The same day the Council made its position clear by recommending that l\Iembers of the United Na- tions should furnish such assistance to the Republic of Korea as might be necessary to l'l'pel the armed at- tack and to restore international peace and security in the area. Since then, and at the same time as organization was being improvised on the spot, offers of assistance have been received from many quarters. The time has come for the SUm of these efforts to be given a well-defined character which will show, as is proper, the moral authority of the United Na- tions, œrtain individual responsibilities and the co- ordination between'the two. The text submitted to the Council is essentiallv a statement of the principle of a unified command urider which the various national contingents involved in this affair would be regrouped; a request ta the United States Government to designate a commander-in-chief; authority to that commander-in-chief ta use the United Nations flag; and a request to the United States Gov- ernment to provide the Security Council with reports on the development of operations. This draft l'l'solution is simple and its authors wished it to be SOt Tt appears to sum up the situation suf- ficiently clearly, while avoiding the danger, always present at the beginning of a new undertaking, of mak- ing premature statements which are soon belied by the faets and have to be retracted. In such a matter it is better to face the requirements of the situation as they arise and to aet accordingly. 1 should like ta take this opportunity, which is of- fered to my delegation today, to pay tribute ta the spontaneous and generous support which the action of the Security Council has called forth from the IVE:. TSIANG (China): My delegation regards the draft resolution before the Council as a logical and necessary development of the resolutions of 25 and 27 June. It has the support of my delegation and, when it is put to the vote, l shaH vote for it. Today is 7 July. In 1937, on 7 July, the Japanese began their war ofaggression against China. On that occasion, unfortunately, the fire was not put out at the start. The League of Nations failed to come to the aid of. my country. It failed to uphold the principles .of the Covenant. l am sure l need not go into the consequences of that act of omission. Much of the suffering of the worId can be traced to that failure. We havehad ta paya heavy pr4:e~ and we 'are con- tinuing to pay a heavy price, for that failure on the pait of the League of Nations. Fortunate1y, today, the aggression against the Re- public of Korea has been met with determination by the United Nations. The Member States, which have responded to the Security Council's calI for assistance to Korea, are, of course, bearing bm;dens which are by no means light and which will tmdoubtedly become heavier in the days ta come. But l am convinced that the sacrifices made now will, in the long l'tm, spare the peoples of the world much heavier sacrifices in future years and decades. It is therefore only right that the Security Council should carry further the course of action it began on 25 and 27 June. Ml'. ALVAREZ (Cuba) (tml1slated f1'om Spanish) : Before discussing the joint draft resolution submitted today by the delegations of the United Kingdom and France, supplel11enting the resolutions adoptedby the Security Council on 25 and 27 June, l shouldlike to My delegation has observed with great satisfaction the position taken by a large majority of the Members of the United Nations in immediately supporting the action recommended by the Security Cot1l1cil and' making known their willingness to provide the neces- sary assistance in the fonu finally agreed upon by this body. The attitude adopted by the great Powers which, even at the cast of great sacrifice, are taking heroic action ta maintain the integrity of the United Nations, is an encouragement ta the small nations which have also offered their warmest support to the decisions of the Security Council. The Cuban delegation takes this opportunity to place On record its clisagreement with the interpretation given by the Soviet Union, in its communication ta the Secretary-General [S/1517], regarding the legality of the decisions taken by the Security Council on 25 and 27 June, since it is ,an established practice in the Coun- cil, and one that the USSR has accepted on many oc- casions, that the abstention of a permanent member from .participation in decisions of the Council does not constitute a veto. 'Vith regard to the draft resolution before the Council, the Cuban delegation considers that for ob- vious reasons the unified command of the collective action of the United Nations should be undertaken by the United States. My delegatiol1 applauds the effective action taken by the United States from the beginning of the agres- sion against the Korean Republic, in defence of the cause of the United Nations, which is the cause of peace, freedom and the independence of peoples. It must not be forgotten, moreover, that at this time the United States is bem'ing the brunt of land, sea and air opemtions, and that had it not been for this im- mediate assistance, the fate orthe Republic of Korea might today be very different. My delegation therefore considers that the draft reso- lution submitted ta the Security Council is opportune; it lays down the steps that must now be taken to ensure the successful outcome of collective action in defence of the fundamental principles of the Charter. Cuba will accordingly vote in favour of the drait.

As no other representative wishes to speak, l should like, as the representative of NORWAY, to say that the Norwegian delegation will sup- As PRESIDENT, l shaH now put the draft resolution [S/1587] to a vote. A 't'ote 'was tal~en by slw'W of !lands, as follo'l~s: 111 fm.louI": China, Cuba, Ecuador, France, Norway, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Nol'thern Ireland, United States of America. Abstaining: Egypt, India, Yugoslavia. The 1'esolution 7.uas adopted by 7 votes to none, with 3 abstentions, ~ne member of the Council being absent. Ml'. CHANG (Republic .of Korea): Noting with satisfaction the submission by France and the United Kingdom of a draft resolution calling for the establishment of a unified command and inviting the United States to designate the commanding officer, and noting the adoption of that resolution today by the Security Council, l wish to express the deepest feeling of gratitude on behalf of my people and my Government. U On 25 and 27 June, l was privileged to be seated at this Council table ta make reports on the unprovoked attacks by the Northern Korean communists against the Republic of Korea, and to make an urgent appeal ta the Members of the United Nations to take effective measures ta repulse the armed attack. The Security Council, to the great happiness of my Government and my people, with dispatch and fortitude adopted a resolution submitted by the United States, designed to ensure not only the repulsion of the anned attack, but also the restoration of peace and security in that area. Today l wish to express the heartfelt thanks of my Government and my people ta the Security. Council, and to the friendly Members of ~the United Nations, for their bold and united action to repel the coldblooded and unprovoked armed attack against the peaceful people of Korea. The invaders now face not only our brave fighting men, but the combined power and Isupport of the majority of the Members of the United Nations. The will and determination of the Members of the United Nations must prevail at this time of crisis in order that the peace-Ioving people of the world may be able to live in freedom and lasting security. l have just received a cabled message from the President of mycountry addressed to the heads of those friendly Members of the United Nations which have supported the Security Council resolutions on Korea, expressing his feeling of gratitude and his confidence in the ultimate victory of the cause. of the United Nations. r now take the liberty of reading this message ta the Council: ! "The commullists won the first battle. We lost heavily in men and material to their planes and tanks and long-range gtl11S. Our army was forced to abandon our anCÎent capital of Seoul, and to fall back across the Han River, where with rifles against tanks and artillery they valiantly held their position and repelled the vicious thrusts of the enemy. Meanwhile, American and Australian air power have filled the skies and are blasting enemy concentratiol1s, air fields, supply areas and advallcing tank colun111S. United States troops are pourÏ11g into Korea. Theil' spearheads have advanced long distances towards Seoul, and within a few days it is certain they wi11meet the enemy in force, destroying and driving back to and through Seoul every communist soldier in Korea. "The morale and devotioll of the KOl'ean people has been l11agnificent despite the em'lier communist terrorist activities within the Republic of Karea. Since the beginning of the war, there has been no single act of sabotage. Schools are rt1l1ning, factories are operating, farmers are wOl'king in the fields, peace and order are being maintained in a remarkable manner everywhere outside the combat area. The heroiS111 and devotion of the KOl'ean soldiers is outstanding. Even the The message is signed "Syngman Rhee". Ml'. AUSTIN (United States of America): 1 wish to associate the United States of America with those gallant Members of the United Nations which have commended 50 wannly the men and women of aIl countries, including my own, for the dedication of their lives, if necessary, for the great principles of peace, principles which occupy the attention of the whole world on account of this dastardly outbreak in a small spot, but in a place where it can have an effect that is worldwide. It can have an effect, also, in the realm of mOl'ality, in the realm of great principles, and in the realm of freedom. The issue of freedom or slavery is involved in what appears, on the surface, ta be a small matter. During the course of the discussion here the question has been implied, although not expressly asked, whether the United States would accept the responsibilities and bear the heavy burdens that are involved in this resolution. Of course the United States will do sa. Of course it has considered this resolution in advance, and of course it could not originate this resolution because of the big and ~pecial resp0nsibilities that it imposes upon the United States. The United States is grateful indeed that it could be excused from doing that, and that so great andfriendly nations as the United Kingdom and France should become the sponsors of this vital resolution. The United States has already accepted the responsibilities of this resolution. In spirit if not in ward this resolution has been in effect since the very first resolution adopted on 25 June in response to the caU for help from Korea. Letters are on file from nations that have offered their specific contributions of men and material. The very language of those offers has established a precedent and a record which is the solid foundation of the language in the resolution adopted today. For example, 1 shaU refer to the commt111ication from Sir Terence Shone, document S/1515, dated 29 June 1950, transmitting the text of the statement made in the Bouse of Commons by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland on 28 June, the day after the adoption. of the secondSecurity Council resolution. The Council "The House will wish ta know what action His Majesty's Government is taking in pursuance of the resolution of the Security Council passed yesterday calling on all Members of the United Nations to furnish assistance to the Republic of Korea. Vle have decided to.support the United States action in Korea by Îlnmediately placing our Naval forces in Japanese waters at the disposaI of the United States authorities to operate on behalf of the Security Council in support of South Korea. Orders to this effect have already been sent to the Naval Commander-in-Chief on the spot. Notification of this action is being made to the Security Councïl, the United States Government, the Government of South Korea, a.nd a11 Commonwealth Governments." 1 shallnot take the time of the Council to go through other similar communications. The Council will note that the individual contributor has had the vision to see the necessity of having a unified command where so many members were participatÏ11g and co-operating together, and named the country. When we voted for the resolution contained in document S/1587, we welcomed the prompt and vigorotls support of these Governments, we pointed out the limited area of the resolution, and we drew attention to the resolutions of 25 and 27 J1me. After the preamble of the resolution, which contains other matters of history, the Security Council, in paragraph 3, "recommends that all Members providing military forces and other assistance pursuant to the aforesaid Security Council resolutions make such forces and , ather assistanceavailable to a unified command under the United States". It is nearly identical language. Then, in paragraph 4, the Security Council "requests the United States ta designate the commander of such forces". Finally, in the last paragraph, the Security Council "requests the United States ta provide it with reports as appropriate on the course of action taken under the unified command". An these things the United States, of course, will do as a Member of the United Nations. The United States accepts the responsibility and makes the sacrifice that is involved in carrying out these principles of the United Nations. As a matter of fact, this obligation has been expressed directly ta the Secretary- General in a communication dated 6 July 1950 (S/1580), which recites the fidelity of the United States to the action of the Security Council in its two resolutions of 25 and 27 June. Tt l'esponds directly ta the inquiry of the Secretary-General regarding the forces that could be contributed by stating what had

If there is no objection, l shall now adjourtl the meeting. ) The meeting rose al 4.45 p.m. --.---1 , ,