867N.01/11–1345
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Director of the Office of Near Eastern and African Affairs (Henderson)
| Participants: | Mr. Acheson |
| Mr. Ali Jawdat, Iraqi Minister | |
| Mr. Nazem al-Koudsi, Syrian Minister | |
| Dr. Charles Malik, Lebanese Minister | |
| Mr. Anis Azer, Egyptian Chargé d’Affaires | |
| Mr. Henderson |
Mr. Acheson received the four Chiefs of Mission of the Arab countries in Washington this afternoon at their request. The visitors included the Minister of Iraq, who acted as spokesman, the Minister of Syria, the Minister of Lebanon, and the Chargé d’Affaires of Egypt. Mr. Henderson of NEA was present.
The Iraqi Minister informed Mr. Acheson that the three Ministers and the Chargé d’Affaires, acting under instructions from their respective governments, desired to hand him identical notes with regard to Palestine. The Minister said that Mr. Acheson was so well acquainted with the views of the Arab governments on Palestine that it did not seem necessary to make any oral comments with regard to the notes.
Mr. Acheson accepted the notes from the visitors and stated that he thought it would be preferable to reserve comment on the part of the Department until the Department had had an opportunity to examine [Page 821] them. The Iraqi Minister inquired if there would be any objection to the immediate publication of these notes in Washington. Mr. Acheson said that he would prefer to reply to that question after looking over the notes.
Following the departure of the Chiefs of Mission, Mr. Acheson, after glancing at the notes, authorized Mr. Henderson to inform the Arab Chiefs of Mission that there would be no objection on the part of the State Department to the publication of the notes. Mr. Henderson passed on this information to the Chiefs of the Arab Missions.
The four notes in question are attached hereto.35