867N.01/3–2047
The British Embassy to the Department of State 1
Palestine and the United Nations
There are two points on which the Foreign Office have asked the United States Embassy in London for information. These questions have since been referred to Mr. Bevin in Moscow, who has instructed H.M. Ambassador to raise them in Washington:
- 1.
- The Foreign Office would like to know whether the State Department, in asking for a fuller definition of the part which H.M.G. wish the United Nations to play, desire H.M.G. to make suggestions for procedure or for policy. H.M.G. have already made it clear that they wish the United Nations to make recommendations concerning the future government of Palestine. In submitting the problem to the General Assembly (and to the suggested ad hoc Committee if set up), they had in mind simply to provide factual and historical material dealing with the administration of the country under the Mandate.
- 2.
- The Foreign Office would also like to obtain a fuller explanation of the legal and other difficulties which the State Department see in the proposal for an ad hoc Committee appointed by the Secretary General.
H.M.G. themselves are doubtful as to the efficacy in helping to solve the problem of a study by the United Nations Secretariat, such as the U.S. Government are understood to have favoured as an alternative to an ad hoc Committee. They think that if nothing more than such a [Page 1064] study were done between now and September, the Assembly would be likely to appoint a Committee when it meets, and postpone the decision until next year. They consider, accordingly, that an ad hoc Committee would be much more likely to produce results. Such information as the Foreign Office have received indicates that the attitude of the Soviet, French and Chinese Governments is also favourable to this proposal. Although there is nothing in the powers of the Secretary General which positively authorises him to set up an ad hoc Committee, he does not appear to be precluded specifically from doing so, more particularly if he obtains the approval of a majority, or preferably of a two-thirds majority, of the members of the United Nations. The only question, in the view of H.M.G., is that of the precedent which would be set.
It seems therefore that the problem is to devise a way of reconciling the wish of H.M.G. to find some means of making a real step forward in the consideration of this problem before September, with the objections which the State Department see in the creation of a body such as the proposed ad hoc Committee.
- Handed to Acting Secretary of State Acheson by the British Ambassador on March 20.↩