867N.01/760½
Memorandum by the Chief of the Division of Near Eastern Affairs (Murray)
At Judge Moore’s suggestion I spoke to the British Ambassador this afternoon with further reference to the Ambassador’s conversation with Judge Moore on June 21.8
I recalled Judge Moore’s remarks to the Ambassador on the abovementioned occasion to the effect that, while we were of course at present unaware of the contents of the report to be submitted shortly by the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Palestine situation, Judge Moore wished to state quite personally, informally and confidentially to the Ambassador that we might find it necessary after the report was published and studied to make representations to the British Government; that in view of the many matters of large importance of mutual concern to our Government and to the British Government we would of course be reluctant to get into any serious dispute with the British Government over Palestine; that, finally and generally speaking, our chief interest in all the mandated territories was the safeguarding of equality of economic opportunity for American nationals in those parts.
I told the Ambassador that Judge Moore desired me to make it entirely clear that his remarks regarding the Palestine situation were not to be taken as indicating in any way that, if and when it became necessary for this Government to make representations after [Page 888] the publication of the Royal Commission’s report, such representations might be regarded by the British Government as merely pro forma, for such was not the case. I emphasized on my own part to the Ambassador that since we were not yet in possession of the findings of the Royal Commission and are not aware of the position that will be taken by the British Government, it is obviously impossible at this time to state what position this Government may take with respect thereto.
The Ambassador said he appreciated the situation fully but was glad to have this further confirmation from me. He then told me that in communicating his conversation with Judge Moore to his Government in strict confidence he had merely stated (1) that a situation might arise after the publication of the Royal Commission’s report requiring representations by this Government regarding Palestine and (2) that this Government would regret to see any dispute arise between itself and the British Government at this time in view of the many large mutual interests of the two Governments. The Ambassador said he had made no reference to the matter of equality of economic opportunity. I suggested, and he agreed, that it would be well not to touch upon that matter at present with his Government in view of the fact that no final formulation of a policy in this respect had been reached by the Department and could not of course be reached until it had all the facts of the case in hand.
The Ambassador thanked me again for affording him this further clarification of the situation, which he said was very helpful.
- Memorandum of conversation not found in Department files.↩