Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1944, The Near East, South Asia, and Africa, The Far East, Volume V

867N.01/8–3144: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Minister in Iraq (Henderson)

Washington, August 31, 1944—6 p.m.

154. Department has been informed by OWI⁷ that a report has been received from OWI Baghdad to the effect that the Iraqi Government censorship is planning to release in the near future a “deluge” of press accounts received through Reuters respecting statements made by Americans in favor of Zionism.

If circumstances warrant, you should discuss this matter with the appropriate authorities with a view to clarifying this matter locally. On the assumption that the censorship is British controlled, you might wish to point out to the local British authorities that any attempt, such as appears on the basis of the report under reference to be under contemplation, to initiate a campaign which would have the effect of discrediting the United States in the Arab world would clearly be contrary to the spirit of joint American-British cooperation in the Near and Middle East as set forth in the Department’s telegram no. 80 of May 17, 10 p.m.⁸ and other instructions on this subject.

You may also wish to point out in this connection that members of the British Government have on many occasions expressed to members of this Government their concern at the possible repercussions which Zionist activities in the United States might have upon the political situation in the Near East as well as their hope that it might be possible for this Government in some way to curtail those activities. It would clearly be inconsistent with the attitude of the British Government in this regard if the British officials in question were to contribute in any way to the undoubtedly harmful effects which the release of a sizeable volume of pro-Zionist statements attributed to American leaders would have upon the situation in Palestine and in the neighboring Arab countries.

You should bear in mind in this connection that a distinction is to be drawn between statements which may have been made informally by various persons in the United States, in Government circles as well as in private life, on the one hand and on the other the formal attitude of this Government toward the Palestine question, as set forth in such recent instructions as the Department’s telegram no. 34, March 15, 6 p.m. to you and the Department’s 657, March 28, 9 p.m. to Cairo, repeated to you.⁹

Hull

7. Office of War Information.
8. See footnote 7, p. 7; for correspondence regarding the exchange between the United States and the United Kingdom regarding cooperation of the two Governments in the Near and Middle East, see pp. 6 ff.
9. See footnotes 77 and 85, pp. 591 and 597, respectively.