867N.01/1307
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Kennedy) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 26.]
Sir: Referring to my despatch No. 1510 of November 10, 19388 transmitting copies of the Palestine Partition Report drawn up by the Woodhead Commission and to the British Government’s Statement of intentions with respect to Palestine announced on November 9, 1938, I have the honor to report that in the House of Commons on November 10, 1938 Mr. Malcolm MacDonald, Secretary of State for the Colonies, clarified a number of points regarding the arrangements for the forthcoming Palestine discussions in London.
Mr. MacDonald referred to the Government’s proposal to invite to the London discussions representatives of the Palestinian Arabs and of the neighboring States on the one hand and of the Jewish Agency on the other, and indicated that the former category would include the Governments of Egypt, Iraq, Saudi-Arabia, the Yemen and Trans-Jordan but not Syria and the Lebanon which, as French mandates, were on a different footing. The British Government, he said, intended however to keep closely in touch with the French Government and to keep it informed of any development that might be of interest to Syria and the Lebanon.
Referring to the provision in the Government’s announcement of November 9 reserving the right to refuse to receive leaders whom it regarded as responsible for the campaign of assassination and violence, Mr. MacDonald stated that the Government would exercise that right in the case of the present Mufti of Jerusalem, whose record over many years made him wholly unacceptable.
In reply to a question as to whether the meeting would be an informal discussion of the situation, or whether matters would be put to a vote, Mr. MacDonald said that there was no question of a vote at all. The discussion would be between representatives of the Arabs and of the neighboring countries and the British Government, and between representatives of the Jewish Agency and the British Government. The discussions might develop into a three-party discussion around the same table, but there was no question of a vote being taken.
Asked whether it was being made clear to both parties to the Conference that the British Government had not departed from the principle of the Balfour Declaration, Mr. MacDonald stated that the Government would, of course, enter the discussions bound by its obligations both to Jews and Arabs under the Mandate, but it would not [Page 987] seek to prevent either party from presenting arguments for modification of the Mandate.
Taking note of inquiries whether the Government had considered the advisability of inviting representatives of other States, as, for example, the United States or Poland, Mr. MacDonald said that the Government had called the conference because it desired to make a determined effort toward getting agreement between the two peoples concerned, i. e., the Arabs and the Jews. In its statement of November 9, he said, the Government had specifically recognized that other countries were concerned and interested and it would keep their interests fully in mind. But, he continued, if the Government started inviting representatives from the United States and Poland, it would be very difficult to know where to draw the line. As far as the Jews were concerned, there were many American Jews represented in the Jewish Agency, and the Jewish Agency was perfectly free to select what Jewish representatives it wished.
Answering a question regarding the Treaty interest of the United States in Palestine, Mr. MacDonald said that the Government was very conscious of the great interest of the United States in the matter and that it had already kept the United States fully informed of its intentions, and would keep them fully informed of developments. To a further question as to whether the situation might not arise where the United States by virtue of its Treaty rights could dissent from the conclusions reached by the conference and thus nullify it, Mr. MacDonald stated that the British Government would watch that situation very carefully and if there were any question of the Treaty rights of the United States being involved, it would enter into discussion with the United States Government immediately. The Government, however, was not anticipating that that would happen.
I enclose the full text of the questions and answers herein referred to, as published in Hansard of November 10, 1938.9
Respectfully yours,
First Secretary of Embassy