Office of the Historian

501.BB Palestine/3–3148: Telegram

The Acting Secretary of State to the Embassy in the united Kingdom

secret   us urgent
niact
Washington, March 31, 1948—11 a. m.

1099. USDel understands that UKDel intends vote for truce resolution in UNSC but to abstain on resolution calling for special session GAUN on Palestine.1

Dept feels that UK would in no way be receding from its present neutral position by voting for resolution calling for special session as [Page 776] the resolution is so worded as not to commit the GA to any particular plan (i.e. Trusteeship or any other plan).

In view of irresponsible Soviet attack on our position2 (USSR offering no constructive proposals) Dept feels it most desirable to get the maximum number of votes possible and you should strongly urge that instructions be sent to UKDel to support US resolution calling for special session.3

Lovett
  1. Mr. McClintock informed Mr. Rusk on March 30 that as of that afternoon seven named members of the Security Council were in favor of the United States truce resolution but that only six supported the resolution to convoke a special session. He conveyed the recommendation of the United States Mission at the United Nations that immediate representations be made at London and Paris to swing British and French votes to the affirmative on the latter resolution (Telegram 350, from New York, 501.BB Palestine/3–3048)↩
  2. For the text of Ambassador Gromyko’s remarks before the Security Council on March 30, see SC, 3rd yr., Nos. 36–51, p. 248; he asserted that the decision to partition Palestine into independent Jewish and Arab States had been a just one and he denounced Ambassador Austin’s arguments as preparing the ground to bury the partition plan and justifying the new United States proposals.↩
  3. A telegram similar to No. 1099 was sent to Paris on March 31 to secure French support for the calling of a special session (1023, 501.BB Palestine/3–3148).↩