Records of USUN
Memorandum by Mr. M. Gordon Knox to the Acting United States Representative at the United Nations (Johnson)
This clipping1 is not important by itself but I think it may be important as the first of public expression of doubt concerning the [Page 1187] sincerity of the American position regarding Palestine. This particular article can be ignored, but I suspect that the US Delegation will have to reply to accusations that we don’t really want partition.
In this connection, I notice what may be a difference of opinion or difference in emphasis which seems to exist between the US Delegation and the State Department. I wonder whether it would not be helpful to have Mr. Rusk come to New York, so that we can understand completely the Department’s viewpoint. In addition to the question of US Delegation tactics, this [that?] is, lobbying, mentioned above there are important specific questions which may need to be answered next week:
- 1.
- The US position regarding implementation.
- 2.
- The US position regarding the British responsibility for Palestine.
- 3.
- What specific suggestions the US might have regarding economic union between the proposed Jewish and Arab states.
- 4.
- Details concerning the future government of Palestine.
- 5.
- Specific boundary changes.
- 6.
- American attitude regarding the various resolutions which have been submitted to the UN Palestine Committee.
The Delegation’s attitude on many of these questions has been or is being formulated, but the Delegation is not receiving the detailed views of the Department on some of these questions and the reason is, I suspect, that the Department is so anxious that the US should not replace the British as the power most directly responsible for solving the Palestine question, that it does not wish the US to adopt clear cut attitudes regarding some of these questions as clear cut attitudes might lead to responsibility for implementation.