Office of the Historian

867N.01/1602

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

No. 2745
London, May 25, 1939.
[Received June 5.]

Sir: Referring to my despatch No. 2679 of May 18, 193983 transmitting the text of the British Statement of Policy on Palestine as published in a White Paper on May 17, 1939, I have the honor to report that both Houses of Parliament, following a two-day debate on May 22 and May 23 which revealed a great deal of dissatisfaction with the Government’s proposals, nevertheless adopted a motion approving the Government’s new policy for Palestine as set forth in that document.

While the motion of approval was adopted in the House of Lords without a division, the vote in its favor in the House of Commons produced the relatively unsubstantial majority of 89 votes (268 votes to 179). Twenty members of the Government parties voted with the Opposition and there was an even greater number of abstentionists.

The full text of the debate, as published in Hansard of May 22 and May 23, is enclosed.84

Respectfully yours,

For the Ambassador:
Herschel V. Johnson

Counselor of Embassy
  1. Not printed.↩
  2. Parliamentary Debates, House of Commons, 5th ser., vol. 347, pp. 1937–2056, 2179–2198.↩