867N.01/10–2644: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant)
8925. Department is informed by JDC31 that British Government in London has approved allotment of 10,300 additional Palestine immigration certificates, to be distributed as follows: 3,200 for children (Comprising 1,000 for Switzerland, 2,000 for France and 200 for Belgium); and 7,100 others (comprising 5,000 for Rumania and Bulgaria, 1,000 for the Yemen, 900 for Italy and 200 for Turkey); these 10,300 certificates to be issued at the rate of 1,500 monthly for each of the 3 months of the present quarter (October, November and December) without decision as to the subsequent rate of issuance. JDC states that this appears tantamount to the using up of the outstanding certificates under the White Paper quota, that it was taken following a recent interview between Weizmann and Premier Churchill, and that it portends an early decision regarding the political future of Palestine, possibly in the direction of partition.
Please report promptly any confirmation of the foregoing which you may be able to obtain informally.
[Page 621]Sent to London repeated to Jerusalem as No. 174 with reference to its No. 123, August 31, 6 p.m.
- Joint Distribution Committee.↩