867N.00/412
The Assistant Chief of the Division of Near Eastern Affairs (Alling) to the Assistant Secretary of State (Moore)
Dear Judge Moore: Jewish circles will undoubtedly be severely disappointed at the action of the British Government, reported in the attached telegram,24 in reducing the labor immigration schedule into Palestine to 1,850. It is important to point out, however, that the labor schedule includes only a portion of the Jewish immigration into the country since other categories, including persons with a specified capital, members of liberal professions, skilled artisans, etc., enter without regard to quotas.
The labor schedule, which is issued twice yearly, covers the period from April 1 to September 30 and from October 1 to March 31. During recent years the schedule has been as follows:
| Schedule period | Immigrants |
| April—September, 1933 | 5,500 |
| October, 1933–March, 1934 | 5,500 |
| April–September, 1934 | 6,200 |
| October, 1934–March, 1935 | 7,500 |
| April–September, 1935 | 8,000 |
| October, 1935–March, 1936 | 3,250 |
| April–September, 1936 | 4,500 |
It is important, likewise, to note that dependents of persons entering under the labor schedule are not included in the above-mentioned quota. According to official statistics of the Palestine Government, 61,854 Jews entered the country in 1935. Of this number only 14,653 came in under the labor schedule. Dependents of this latter group numbered 13,076. In other words, persons included in the labor schedule and their dependents accounted for an immigration of 27,000 [Page 454] while the remaining 44,000 entered comparatively freely tinder other categories such as those mentioned in the first paragraph. Under the action now taken by the British Government it is apparent that persons in these other categories will be permitted to enter as usual. Accordingly immigration into Palestine has not been reduced to anywhere near the extent which is indicated by the bare facts included in this telegram.
It is not at all unlikely that Jewish organizations in this country will press us to take some action vis-à-vis the British Government and to urge the latter to rescind its decision and to increase the labor schedule. You are already familiar with the difficult situation in which the British Government is placed because of the hostility manifested toward its Palestine policy by Moslems in various parts of the British Empire. It is apparent that the action which the British Government has now taken is intended as a compromise which will reassure the Arabs and Moslems to some extent and yet at the same time not seriously reduce Jewish immigration. Doubtless some conciliatory move toward the Arabs was considered necessary in order that their cooperation might be obtained in connection with the investigations which the Palestine Royal Commission intends to carry out during its forthcoming trip of inspection.
Under the circumstances it would seem desirable for us to refrain from intervening in any way in this question, particularly since it is now about to receive the attention of the Royal Commission of Inquiry. Moreover, since we ourselves strictly limit our own immigration we are scarcely in a strong position to insist that other countries adjust their immigration laws and regulations to suit the desires of ourselves or a portion of our population.
- Supra.↩