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

501.BB Palestine/10–2948: Telegram

The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Douglas) to the Acting Secretary of State

top secret   us urgent
niact

London, October 29, 1948—5 p. m.

4683. 1. Foreign Office was considerably agitated and alarmed to learn from Paris by telephone this morning that US delegation SC was without instructions re Palestine case (Embassy’s 4642, October 27 and Paris 1119, October 27¹ to London). Bevin, through Hector McNeil, immediately sent urgent personal message to Secretary asking him to make certain that USDel voted for Palestine resolution since US abstention would imperil outcome.

2. While mechanical delays may account for unenviable position of USDel this morning, it occurs to me that in dealing with Palestine question we may be inclined to underestimate the importance which is attached by other nations to every US move in this difficult problem. Rightly or wrongly, world opinion seems to have assigned to US great responsibility for developments in Palestine.

3. It is our purpose to make UN an effective instrument to deal with problems affecting peace and security. I fail to see how we can expect SC to preserve the peace in connection with Azerbaijan and Berlin and ignore it in connection with Palestine.

Sent Department 4683, repeated Paris for Gadel 816.

Douglas

1. Neither printed; the latter was sent to the Department as telegram Delga 502.