103.3/8–2247
Memorandum by the Under Secretary of State (Lovett)
Notes on Cabinet Meeting, Friday, August 22, 10:00 a. m.
[Here follow notes on the Cabinet meeting.]
The President asked me to remain after the meeting and asked me about the problem arising out of the British ultimatum to the Jews [Page 1139] aboard the Exodus 19471 to debark in France in accordance with the French invitation or to be taken to a British-controlled port in Germany and forcibly debarked there. This harsh action has caused a storm of protest in this country.
I told the President that the State Department, immediately on learning of the British ultimatum, had communicated informally with the British Embassy and asked them to notify the Foreign Office of cur great concern at the action contemplated and request that it be altered to avoid the landing of these Jewish refugees in Germany. I explained that a formal note would have had an almost certain effect of freezing the British in their position because of Bevin’s great sensitivity on this point and because the British could with some justice say that we were interfering in the exercise of their powers. The informal approach was felt to be far more productive and was accordingly taken by us. The President stated that he was in full accord with this and asked us to continue our best efforts to modify the British procedure. This is being done.
- In telegram 2955, July 24, the Embassy in Paris reported that “the Exodus ‘escaped’ from the French port of Sète with approximately 4,500 Jewish refugees on board, that the ship was stopped off Palestine by British war vessels and that the British authorities decided to return the passengers to France rather than intern them at Cyprus as in previous similar cases.” (867N.01/7–2447)↩