Office of the Historian

867N.01/11–1544

Memorandum by the Acting Secretary of State to President Roosevelt

[Washington,] November 15, 1944.

Congressman Bloom has inquired what the attitude of the Department would be toward the reconsideration by the Foreign Affairs Committee of the proposed resolution on Palestine.55

The resolution looks forward to the free migration of Jews into Palestine and to the ultimate reconstitution of Palestine as a free and democratic Jewish commonwealth.

Last spring the Foreign Affairs Committee deferred action on the resolution on the grounds that it might have an adverse military effect upon the conduct of the war. Secretary Stimson has since withdrawn his objections in a letter to Senator Taft, which has been made public.

  1. In a memorandum of November 15 the Acting Secretary informed the Director of the Office of Near Eastern and African Affairs and the Assistant Secretary of State (Long) as follows: “The President feels it would be a mistake to have the Palestine Resolution re-introduced at this time. I have advised Sol Bloom and Dr. Wise to this effect.” (867N.01/11–1544)

    In a meeting with the Acting Secretary on November 9, 1944, Dr. Stephen S. Wise, co-chairman with Rabbi Abba Hillel Silver of the American Zionist Emergency Council, had asked whether the Department would object to introduction of the Palestine Resolution into the current session of Congress. The Acting Secretary had told him that it was a matter he wished to discuss with the President.

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