501.BB/10–347
Memorandum by Mr. Gordon Knox 1 to the Acting United States Representative at the United Nations (Johnson)
Subject: Palestine Question—meeting in Secretary Marshall’s Office, October 3, 1947. Those present were: Ambassador Austin, Ambassador Johnson, Mrs. Roosevelt, General Hilldring, and [Mr.] Dean Rusk, Mr. Bohlen, Mr. Fahy, and Ambassador Alling.2
Following a discussion of the present position of the US Delegation regarding Palestine, Secretary Marshall stated:
- 1.
- The US Delegation wants to know more about the opinions of members of the UN concerning Palestine, and would also like to have more time for Arab and Jewish representatives to get together in the hope that, however slim the chance might be, they might reach some form of agreement.
- 2.
- Therefore, Dr. Evatt, chairman of the Palestine Committee, should be told that the US Delegation is not prepared to speak on this matter at the present time. It hopes that if no other members of the [Page 1174] Committee wish to speak, the session might be adjourned until next Thursday.
- 3.
- The US position regarding the UNSCOP report is to support the majority plan in principle. The US Delegation is impressed by the fact that this plan was drawn up by a majority of a Committee of the UN composed of members of disinterested states.
- 4.
- The US Delegation, however, has certain modifications to propose to the majority report. These modifications are of a pro-Arab nature, concerning inter-alia boundary changes and adjustments of the plan for economic union.
At the meeting, the following comments were made and seemed to win general support.
- 1.
- In all probability the majority plan does not obtain a two-thirds majority at present. Failure of this plan to gain sufficient votes seems to be particularly probable in the event US declines to help enforce it.
- 2.
- Arab resentment against the US will be strong if the US supports either a Jewish Sovereign State, or large-scale immigration.
- 3.
- The US is committed historically to the encouragement of Jewish immigration to Palestine. The US, however, is not committed to support the creation of a Sovereign Jewish State.
- 4.
- In the event, that the majority plan be not accepted by a two-thirds vote, some form of UN Trusteeship for Palestine might be desirable. The length of time such a trusteeship should be maintained was discussed, but was not determined. Such a trusteeship, however, should allow for Jewish immigration. Whether such immigration should extend throughout all of Palestine, or limited sections, was not determined.
The degree of Arab opposition to the majority plan was discussed but no final conclusion was drawn. It seems to be the general consensus that if the majority plan were accepted by two-thirds of the General Assembly the US should be willing to play its appropriate part in any enforcement of this plan. However, it seemed to be generally agreed that it would be unwise to employ organized US military units for this purpose.
Finally, the US should not attempt to persuade members of the General Assembly to vote for the majority plan.
Secretary Marshall indicated that he was contemplating the issuing of a statement to the press requesting Congress to pass legislation which would allow for increased immigration of displaced persons to the US.