Foreign Relations of the United States, 1948, The Near East, South Asia, and Africa, Volume V, Part 2

867N.01/5–1448: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Embassy in the United Kingdom

top secret   us urgent
niact

Washington, May 14, 1948—6 p. m.

1761. For Douglas. Please inform Bevin or other responsible official Brit Govt that we have reason to believe that provisional govt of new Jewish state will make request at once for recognition and that in present circumstances we feel that we should grant recognition to Jewish provisional govt as de facto authority of Jewish state.¹

Marshall

1. The Department of State, simultaneously, sent telegrams of similar import to Paris (1675) and to Brussels (722). The same day, it also sent a circular telegram to Missions at Cairo, Jidda, Baghdad, Beirut, and Damascus, and to Consulates at Alexandria, Port Said, Dhahran, Jerusalem, Haifa, Aden, and Basra, which stated: “For your secret info and for such precautions as you may consider it necessary to take this Govt may within next few hours recognize provisional Jewish govt as de facto authority of new Jewish state.” (867N.01/5–1448)