Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1942, The Near East and Africa, Volume IV

867N.01/12–442

Memorandum by the Under Secretary of State (Welles) to the Adviser on Political Relations (Murray)

[Washington,] December 4, 1942.

Mr. Murray: I received the visit this afternoon of Dr. Chaim Weizmann.²³ Dr. Weizmann is anxious to discuss with some officer of the Department of State the future possibilities of Palestine. He informed me, for my secret information, that Mr. Churchill had stated to him that he desired to make Ibn Saud²⁴ the “boss of bosses” in the Arab world, with the understanding that this would be accomplished if Ibn Saud was willing to work out with Dr. Weizmann a sane solution of the Palestine question.²⁵ He added that Mr. Churchill had stated to him that the President was in accord on this subject. (I should mention that the President has never mentioned this matter to me.) Dr. Weizmann also showed me a personal telegram he had received from Mr. Churchill through Lord Halifax on the 25th anniversary of the Balfour Declaration which stated in essence that his thoughts go with Dr. Weizmann on this anniversary and that Dr. Weizmann’s plans would win out in the end. This telegram was shown to me with the understanding that it would not be made public.

I would like to talk with you concerning this matter sometime early next week.

S[umner] W[elles]

23. President of the World Zionist Organization.
24. King of Saudi Arabia.
25. For his own account of this interview with Prime Minister Churchill, see Trial and Error, The Autobiography of Chaim Weizmann (New York, 1949), pp. 427 and 428.