Foreign Relations of the United States, 1947, The Near East and Africa, Volume V

501.BB Palestine/11–347: Telegram

The United States Representative at the United Nations (Austin) to the Secretary of State

secret
urgent

New York, November 3, 1947—1 p. m.

1133. For Henderson and McClintock from Rusk. Oh Friday I saw Lionel Gelber, Political Adviser to the Jewish Agency, whom I had known at Oxford. Our conversation was generally personal except that I took the occasion to express very strong views about the possibility of further incidents arising from attempts to run additional immigrants illegally into Palestine. I stated that the seriousness with which the US would view such further incidents could not be exaggerated and that it was of the utmost importance that the Jews give the UN an opportunity to settle this difficult question without the passion which further incidents would inevitably arouse. I asked him to speak to the heads of the Jewish Agency along these lines in the strongest possible terms. On Sunday night Gelber came to see me with the following report: After the Secretary’s talk with Judge Proskauer,¹ the Jewish Agency had made contact with the Jewish Underground to ascertain the facts. After my talk with Gelber, Agency made fresh inquiries on Saturday and Sunday. Gelber said he was authorized to inform me that he had no information about prospective sailings either from Atlantic ports or from Black Sea ports for the next five or six weeks. He stated the Jewish Agency would do everything within its power to prevent further incidents but indicated that the Agency did not have complete control of the Underground. He asked me if we could furnish him any precise information we get as to perspective sailings in order that the Agency might use its maximum influence to prevent incidents. I then repeated what I had told him earlier and told him we expected the Agency to exert itself to the utmost to see that the Underground is restrained.²

Henderson may wish to call the above to the attention of the Secretary. Further, if there is any intelligence on specific ship movements which we wish Jewish Agency to block, I would be prepared to take it up with Jewish Agency if Dept. desires. [Rusk]

Austin

1. Joseph M. Proskauer, President of the American Jewish Committee.
2. According to telegram 1136, November 3, 4:27 p. m., from New York, Mr. Shertok that day had assured General Hilldring that there was no basis of truth in the reports of vessels leaving American and Black Sea ports to carry illegal immigrants to Palestine (867N.01/11–347).