Telegram to Secretary of State Dean Acheson

91 INCOMING TELEGRAM Department of State DUPLICATE IN W. P. FILE TELEGRAPH BRANCH PLAIN N 6-B Action Control: 7596 FE Rec'd: December 15, 1950 FROM: London 9:09 p.m. Info SS TO: Secretary of State G P NO: 3471, December 15 SAM EUR NEA Following is text FE portion PRIMIN'S statement in Commons UNA yesterday: OLI CIA QUOTE ARMY AIR Our first meetings were naturally concerned with the Far NAVY Eastern situation and the communique brings out very IE clearly both the points of agreement and the points of PA difference between the two governments. But it would be DCR a mistake to over-emphasize those differences. We are at one in our support of the action of the United Nations in resisting aggression. Both governments are profoundly desirous of preventing the war from spreading. Both seek to reach a settlement in the Far East and indeed in the whole of Asia. We in this country have great in- terests in Asia, where there are peoples who, under our care, are marching on the road to full self-government. We are united in the British Commonwealth of Nations with India, Pakistan and Ceylon, and with the southern dominions who border on the Far East. We have long and friendly re- lations with the peoples of Asia, not least the Chinese; and it has been our consistent policy to meet the just claims of the Asiatic nations to be dealt with on terms of full equality. We have taken a realist view. When it became clear that the present rulers of China were in effective occupation of that country we gave them our recognition, We believe it is right that Chinese repre- sentation in the United Nations should belong to the pre- sent government of China. We have been working for this, and I believe that but for the Korean episode this end would have been achieved. I stated our position in the course of our meetings. Korea is essentially a United Nations problem. Its outcome will have an important effect on the authority and prestige of the United Nations. It is vital that that authority should be maintained, and it is, therefore of supreme importance that any (over) PLAIN REPRODUCTION OF THIS MESSAGE IS PROHIBITED