867N.01/11–2444
Memorandum by the Director of the Office of Near Eastern and African Affairs (Murray) to the Acting Secretary of State
Mr. Stettinius: A telegram from our Minister at Baghdad no. 251, November 17, states that the Iraqi Minister at Beirut, now in Baghdad, has told Mr. Henderson that the new Soviet Minister to Syria and Lebanon has told him in confidence that “the Soviet Government is unqualifiedly opposed to the Zionist program”.
I have, as you will recall, on several occasions pointed out that the attitude of the Soviet Government toward Zionist ambitions in Palestine, once that attitude becomes publicly known, will undoubtedly turn out to be the most important card in the deck.
The American Government and both political parties in this country have gone far out on a limb in support of Zionism despite the fact that the long-range interests of the United States clearly indicate the importance of establishing ourselves solidly in the good will of the Arab world and particularly in Saudi Arabia, where we have a great stake.
I discussed this situation with Mr. Harriman and found him deeply impressed with its significance. As you may know, he brought the matter up with the President and discussed it at length with Harry Hopkins.59
Soviet prestige is already rising in the Arab world like a star in the East. It requires no particular knowledge of the situation to predict that on the day when the Soviet Government publicly announces that it is opposed to Zionist ambitions in Palestine, both the British position in the Arab world and more particularly ours will start on the downgrade, and we shall eventually lose out altogether unless we have meanwhile shown by deeds and not merely words that we appreciate the importance of our relations with the Arab world of 50,000,000 people.
- Special Assistant to President Roosevelt.↩