867N.01/1557: Telegram
The Minister in Egypt (Fish) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 20—7:33 a.m.]
58. The British White Paper on Palestine is strongly criticized in the Arabic press and has aroused considerable disappointment. On May 18th the Prime Minister made a declaration to the press substantially as follows:
“Seeing that the British Government have not accepted the demands made by the Governments of the Arab countries…71 these Governments are unable to recommend to the people of Palestine to collaborate with the British authorities on the basis of the British Government’s plan. We are continuing to collaborate as between the Governments of the Arab powers but as the British have now defined their policy we consider that the negotiations are ended”.
Wafdist circles seize upon the White Paper to attack both the British and the Egyptian Governments, derogate last month’s Arab [Page 760] conversations in Cairo and charge that England has placed hands on Palestine forever. Deputy Abdul Hamid Said, President of the Young Men’s Moslem Association, cabled a protest on May 18th to Chamberlain to the effect that British policy as now stated is designed to Judaize Palestine.
- Omission indicated in the original telegram.↩