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

501.BB Palestine/5–2448: Telegram

The Vice Consul at Jerusalem (Burdett) to the Secretary of State

confidential   us urgent
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Jerusalem, May 24, 1948—noon.

725. Deptel 457 May 23.¹ In view of friendly relations informally maintained with Transjordan officials by this ConGen would Dept wish consider suggestion that we transmit to King Abdullah or Transjordan Prime Minister personal message from Stabler² or alternatively from “American Consulate General” along following lines:

US Government gravely disturbed by present-course developments in Palestine and hopes that Transjordan Government will find it possible to cooperate in the carrying out of the cease-fire which is proposed for all fronts in Palestine to come into effect at 1800 hours local Arab time tonight. Embassy (or we) shall be glad to transmit to the Department of State any reply which Your Majesty (or the Transjordan Government) may desire to send.

Department’s urgent instructions requested as we understand Arab League Political Committee is now meeting in Amman.³

Burdett

1. This was a repeat of No. 641 to Cairo, p. 1033.
2. Wells Stabler, Vice Consul at Jerusalem.
3. The Department, on May 24, approved the suggestion for an informal approach by the Consulate General to the Transjordan Government regarding a cease-fire (telegram 458 to Jerusalem, 501.BB Palestine/5–2448).