Editorial Note
Secretary of the Army Royall, on November 24, sent an undated report dealing with the problem of Palestine to the Executive Secretary of the National Security Council, with a request that it be circulated among the members of the Council and placed on its agenda.
The report defined the problem as the need “To assess the implications of current United Nations discussion of the problem of Palestine on the security interests of the United States.”
The section marked “Discussion” stated that if the plan for partitioning Palestine should be defeated in the General Assembly, “the United Nations would be left with the problem unsolved and the necessity for contriving some alternate solution.… There is thus posed the question of possible United Nations trusteeship with all its attendant subquestions of the state or states to be named trustees and what forces could be authorized and organized for the essential maintenance of law and order. The “Discussion” section concluded with the statement that “Any decision by the General Assembly, or its failure to reach a decision, will hold implications affecting the security interests of the United States and thus calling for study and recommendation by the National Security Council. These implications and the pressing time element are of such importance as to urge immediate attention by the Council.” (501.BB Palestine 11–2447)
At a meeting of the Consultants of the Council, on December 12, 1947, it was agreed that the Department of State should prepare the initial draft of a National Security Council report on the position of the United States on the Palestine problem.