867N.01/2–1947: Telegram
The Chargé in the United Kingdom (Gallman) to the Secretary of State
1143.
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1. As result of Secretary’s suggestion in final paragraph his Feb 17 reply to Bevin’s Feb 15 communication to Secretary via British Embassy Washington,1 Bevin avoided committing himself regarding GA in statement he read to Parliament yesterday.2 Meeting of Foreign Office and Colonial Office officials considered possibility of preliminary work in Trusteeship Council but reached conclusion not yet endorsed at ministerial level that reference to Trusteeship Council might prejudice future UN decision. Beeley said that UNGA might decide that Palestine should not be trusteeship but should become an independent state or states at once. British agree that any work which can be done on problem before Sept will be most useful and Beeley said that telegram is now being processed through Foreign Office putting to Cadogan3 in New York for his comments certain procedural suggestions [Page 1054] designed to get UN started on Palestine problem in advance Sept UNGA. On basis Cadogan’s advice final reply will be sent to Secretary’s message which so far has been given only interim reply.4
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3. Beeley said that British officials sympathized deeply with Jews in DP camps but that there is strong feeling in London that nothing should be done to tilt scales in favor of either side between now and UN decision. He thought any increase above 1500 monthly would tilt scales and pointed out that there is possibility that UN may ask British Govt to carry on in Palestine for protracted period while UN considers question. If, for example, monthly quota were doubled it would amount to 36,000 immigrants yearly, a figure only exceeded in 1934 and 1935. As things stand 18,000 Jewish immigrants annually was only exceeded in 1925 and in period 1933–36. He thought that relatively high current rate immigration was sometimes forgotten.
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- The formal reply to Mr. Bevin’s communication was conveyed telegraphically to London on February 21; see infra. Presumably a copy was sent to the British Embassy on February 17, as recommended in Mr. Henderson’s communication of February 17 to Mr. Acheson, p. 1051.↩
- For text, see Parliamentary Debates, House of Commons, 5th series, vol. 433, col. 985.↩
- Sir Alexander Cadogan, British Representative at the United Nations.↩
- Not found in Department files.↩