867N.01/1161: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Kennedy) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 11—4 p.m.]
1161. Your 614, October 10, 6 p.m. The Foreign Office confirms your understanding that no final decision respecting the future of Palestine is to be made before the report of the Woodhead Commission is in the hands of the Government. The report has not yet been signed and the Foreign Office states that it is not expected to be completed until the latter part of October.
Mr. MacDonald was very explicit in the House of Commons on October 6 last regarding the Government’s intentions in this respect. He referred to the fact that the Woodhead Commission’s report would not be in his hands until towards the end of October and that he did not anticipate that the Government would be able to reach conclusions before the House of Commons reassembled on November 1st. In reply to a further question he confirmed that the House of Commons [Page 952] would not be put in a position of having to confirm or reject a decision already taken and put into operation, but would have an opportunity of considering the policy before it was adopted and put into operation by the Government.
The press attributes to the Iraqi Foreign Minister who has recently visited London a plan whereby Palestine would be converted from a mandatory to an independent state allied by treaty to Great Britain and governed under a constitution which would embody guarantees of full civil and religious rights to all communities and which would permit no further Jewish immigration.
An official of the Foreign Office states that the Iraqi Foreign Minister’s visit was arranged as long ago as last July. He added that the Palestine situation was discussed with him but that there were “no negotiations”.
The Daily Telegraph and Morning Post of October 5 stated that it is expected that an extraordinary meeting of the League Council will be summoned toward the end of the year to approve the British Government’s eventual policy with regard to Palestine.
I shall revert to the last paragraph of your telegram at an early date.
Copy by mail Jerusalem.