Warren Austin, U.S. Ambassador to the UN
Speech on Communist Aggression in Korea
January 15, 1951

The United Nations has had experience with this expansionist power in the past. The chain of crises has run from Iran through Greece and Berlin and back across the world to Korea. The United Nations has learned from these past experiences that each crisis was met only by our determination to stand together. In each crisis, our standing together has had the eventual effect of bringing the Soviet imperialist power to a standstill. Our united resolution has compelled at least temporary stabilisations. We must hope that by our united resolution now, we can once again bring those responsible for this new aggression to realise that flinging its armies against the United Nations is, in the long run, neither prudent for the regime, nor helpful to the welfare of the Chinese people, whom Peking now controls. I hope that realisation will not be too long delayed. Because the aggression in Korea is part of a worldwide pattern, my Government believes that the actions we take in the United Nations must be tailored to fit that pattern. Our programme of action must take into account the distribution of power in the world and the imminence of danger. What is more, what is important, in our view, is that by facing up to this threat to the collective security of the world the United Nations discourage present or future aggression.

My Government believes that the United Nations should now adopt a resolution which notes the facts and recommends action consistent with the facts. The facts are that the Peiping regime has rejected efforts to bring about a ceasefire in Korea, and has continued its invasion of Korea and its attacks upon the United Nations forces there. In view of these facts, it is clear that the Peiping regime has committed aggression and that the General Assembly must say so. We believe that the General Assembly should call upon the Peiping regime to cease hostilities against the United Nations forces, and to withdraw its forces from Korea.

We believe the General Assembly should affirm the determination of the United Nations to continue its efforts to meet the aggression in Korea. We believe the General Assembly should call upon all States to lend their assistance to the United Nations and to refrain from giving assistance to the aggressors. By doing these things the General Assembly would decide in principle that collective measures should be taken to meet the aggression in Korea.

In our view, it would be well for the General Assembly to call upon such body as the Collective Measures Committee to consider what future collective measures should be taken. We believe that this body should undertake this study immediately and should report back to the General Assembly as soon as possible with its recommendations, on the basis of which the General Assembly should make recommendations to the Members.

My Government believes that the General Assembly should also reaffirm that the policy of the United Nations is to bring about a ceasefire in Korea with a view to peaceful settlement and the achievement of the United Nations’ objectives in Korea by peaceful means. For this purpose we believe there should be in existence a United Nation group which will at all times be ready to use its good offices to this end whenever the Peiping regime decides that it prefers peace to armed aggression against the United Nations.

I believe that for the common cause of collective security the great majority of Members here present will want to choose this course. We can do no less if the United Nations is to maintain its integrity and the principle of collective security is to survive.