867N.01/2072½
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Secretary of State
The British Ambassador called at his request and handed me a memorandum on Palestine20 in response to a recent request for further information and explanation of the British position in regard to the White Paper, in order that this Government might make public some of the conversations had with the British Government in regard to this subject. The Ambassador submitted a suggested draft of a statement that I might make, as follows:
“United States Government, having regard to the fact that there are something like 4 million Jews in the United States, are particularly interested in problems concerning the present plight of the Jews and are giving close and constant attention to all proposals that seem likely to alleviate the Jewish lot or contribute to solving their special problems. One problem is that of Palestine and this too, though its Government and its security are a British and not an [Page 828] American responsibility, is receiving close attention and it is Mr. Hull’s constant hope that an eventual solution will be found that would benefit all Palestine’s inhabitants, Arabs and Jews alike. If interested Jews and Arabs within Palestine’s borders and without could reach a friendly understanding through their own efforts, this would be beneficial to the United States.”
I said that this was not quite definite enough; that I would like to take it and see what I could develop and then possibly show it to him a little later.
I then requested him to hand me a copy of his memo of our conversation on this matter which he sent to his Government some days ago. He did so and the memo read as follows:
“2. The sort of thing he had it in mind to say was. Begins. That United States Government and His Majesty’s Government were of course at one in their feeling of sympathy for the cruelties to which the whole Jewish race had been subjected and that one of the purposes of victory in this war was to secure justice for Jews. As to Palestine, this was of course within the responsibility of His Majesty’s Government but the United States Government, having regard to the fact that there was something like four million Jews in the United States could naturally never be disinterested in the problem, and were following with close and constant attention all facts and factors that affected it. More than this he could not at present say. Ends.”
(This does not mean necessarily that I subscribe to all that he said in his attempt to quote me.)
- The papers quoted below are the only ones attached to this memorandum of conversation. The draft statement may be the memorandum meant.↩