867N.01/5–1046: Telegram
The British Prime Minister (Attlee) to President Truman 37
Thank you very much indeed for your message of yesterday about Palestine and for your kindness in consulting me. Your message arrived while I was in Cabinet—I brought it at once before my colleagues. We are all agreed that closest cooperation between our two Governments on this matter can only be to the benefit of all concerned. We are most grateful for your communication and for the suggestions which you make which we are now studying. I am sorry I cannot send you a final reply immediately but as I have explained to your Ambassador I want particularly to discuss it with the Foreign Secretary who as you probably know has had a preliminary talk with Mr. Byrnes. I hope he will be able to come from Paris during the weekend for consultation.
2. I realise the need for speed; but, in order to ensure that we make the best possible approach to the problem, I should be grateful if you could wait a few days until I am in a position to give you the considered views of my Cabinet colleagues. Meanwhile I hope you will give consideration to the suggestions put to Mr. Byrnes by the Foreign Secretary, especially that there should be some provision for the study [Page 604] by experts of our two Governments of the financial and military liabilities involved and that if possible this study should take place at the outset and before the proposed consultations with Jews and Arabs.
[Here follow paragraphs numbered 3 and 4 dealing with subjects other than Palestine.]
- Copy transmitted to Mr. Acheson by the British Ambassador (Halifax) on May 10.↩