867N.01/8–1845
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Deputy Director of the Office of Near Eastern and African Affairs (Allen)
Mr. Koudsi16 asked if I could give him any background regarding the President’s remarks at his recent press conference regarding Palestine. I said that I could not. I said that it appeared to me from the press reports that the President’s remarks came in answer merely to one of many questions asked him by reporters.
I asked Mr. Koudsi what his reaction was and what he thought the reaction of his Government would be. Mr. Koudsi said that while of course he had not had time to receive anything on the subject from his Government, he had considered the matter himself a great deal and had come to the conclusion that if he were asked his own preference, he would have to say that in balance he was glad the President had [Page 723] said what he did rather than that no statement of the American Government’s policy be made at all. He thought that the fact that the President made it clear that any solution to the Palestine problem must be worked out through diplomatic channels in consultation with the Arabs and that the United States did not intend to send any armed forces to introduce and maintain a new regime in Palestine were both helpful.
He was disturbed, however, by his knowledge that the Arab peoples of the Middle East would not appreciate the force of these important parts of the President’s statement and would focus their attention on his expressed wish that as many Jews as possible might be admitted to Palestine. He hoped that the Government officials and enlightened peoples in the Arab world would appreciate the helpful portions of the President’s statement.
- Nazem al-Koudsi, Syrian Minister.↩