Truman Papers, President’s Secretary’s File
Memorandum by the Secretary of Defense (Forrestal) to President Truman
This is to advise you that upon the urgent request of the Acting Secretary of State, I have directed the Secretary of the Navy to increase the number of Marine guards stationed at the Consulate in Jerusalem from 13 to 40. This action had been recommended by the Consul General as necessary to provide what he considered minimum protection under existing circumstances—six guards on duty at all times. The request for this added complement of men was reported as well justified by General Riley, the Senior United States Military Observer in Palestine, in response to a request for his opinion. The [Page 1463] Secretary of the Navy recommended against the action on the ground that the additional personnel would not provide effective protection and would increase the possibility of incidents. I felt, however, in view of the strong representations of the Department of State and personnel in the field, that the request should be complied with.