867N.01/10–2745
The Secretary of State to the British Ambassador ( Halifax )93
The Secretary of State presents his compliments to His Excellency, the British Ambassador, and has the honor to refer to the Embassy’s note of October 26, 1945, enclosing the text of the statement on Palestine which Mr. Bevin proposes to make in the House of Commons next week, and to state that the statement in its present form is unsatisfactory to this Government.
It is the view of the Secretary of State that it would be preferable if the whole matter could be postponed until the visit of the Prime Minister to Washington on November 11th, during the course of which it is hoped that an understanding with regard to the procedure for solving the problem may be reached between the two Governments as a result of conversations between the President and the Prime Minister.
In the event that Mr. Bevin feels that it is necessary to make a statement on the subject before November 11th, it is hoped that he will find it possible to omit any reference to the attitude of this Government with regard to the establishment of a Joint Committee of Inquiry. If any statement is made with regard to the attitude of this Government in this respect, the President may feel impelled immediately to make a statement of this Government’s view that it would much prefer a solution along the lines of his letter to the Prime Minister, and would cooperate in any inquiry which would delay action only because no other choice would be left to it, and only if the terms of reference would be as suggested by it.
Accept [etc.]
- Handed to the British Minister (Balfour) by the Secretary of State on October 27.↩