Foreign Relations of the United States Diplomatic Papers, 1940, The British Commonwealth, The Soviet Union, The Near East and Africa, Volume III

740.00112 European War 1939/956: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Consul General at Jerusalem (Wadsworth)

Washington, January 23, 1940.

Your 2, January 18, 4 p.m. You should keep the Department fully and currently informed of all important action taken by the British Government tending to give Palestine a belligerent status. You should report in particular at once any effort on the part of the British authorities to extend any assumed jurisdiction of the British Prize Court in Palestine or the British contraband control base at Haifa over American vessels or goods.

The Department desires that you refrain from countersigning any guarantee under the arrangements referred to in your telegram or from taking any action that might possibly be construed as implying acquiescence by this Government or its representative in the application to Palestine of any belligerent measure.

Hull