867N.01/9–2746
Memorandum by the Deputy Director of the Office of Near Eastern and African Affairs (Villard) to the Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs (Clayton)
1) When departing for San Francisco last week, Mr. Henderson instructed his office to endeavor to arrange that Mr. Wadsworth, our Minister to Syria and Lebanon who is now in the Department for consultation, call on the President and on you.
Mr. Wadsworth’s call on the President was arranged for yesterday. Unfortunately, you were unable to receive him before that time. We had thought that you might wish to comment on his proposed remarks to the President.
A copy of his “Outline of Remarks” is, therefore, now attached for your information; and it is supplemented by his memorandum of his conversation with Mr. Truman.68
2) The conversation dealt primarily and in interesting fashion with several aspects of the Palestine problem, the major theme being that, as an international problem, it could appropriately be dealt with on the international plane at the forthcoming United Nations General Assembly.
Mr. Wadsworth gathered the impression that, if the matter were to be so considered, the President would wish: (a) That the pressing problem of the European Jewish refugees be kept in the forefront of our thinking; and (b) That, in any solution of the Palestine problem itself, it be recognized that, while there could be no Jewish State, Jews in Palestine could be guaranteed protection under some local autonomy arrangement under the control of a power which would be responsible as well for defense, foreign affairs and finance.
[The remainder of this memorandum deals with the request by the Syrian Government for assistance by the United States Government in engaging census experts.]
- Neither found in Department files.↩