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

501.BB Palestine/9–1048: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Embassy in the United Kingdom

top secret
us urgent

Washington, September 11, 1948—1 p. m.

3604. For Ambassador. Department believes we are now in general agreement with. British as their thinking is revealed in your 4057 Sept 10. Re paras 2 and 3 your telegram, Dept’s position is one of persistent hope that Palestine dispute may be kept out of UN debate at this juncture. However, British are correct in assuming in para 3 that it may be necessary to have UN GA or possibly SC give blessing to any suggested settlement in order to enable leaders on both sides to carry their public opinion to acquiesce in such settlement.

Our 2593 [3593] Sept 10¹ will have answered para 5. Re para 6 we agree that approaches to Arabs and Jews should be parallel rather than joint. Your para 9: We have no objection if US and UK representatives call on Mediator together but we prefer that representations be parallel and not identical.

Marshall

1. Not printed.