Foreign Relations of the United States, 1948, The Near East, South Asia, and Africa, Volume V, Part 2

501.BB Palestine/4–1848: Circular telegram

The Acting Secretary of State to Certain Diplomatic and Consular Offices

confidential

Washington, April 18, 1948—8 p. m.

Reference Dept’s Confidential instruction April 8, 1948,¹ forwarding copy of draft trusteeship agreement for Palestine. Copies this agreement have infernally been made available on confidential basis to reps, of members of the SC, of certain other members of UN and of Jewish Agency and Arab Higher Committee. Dept has stressed that agreement is in draft form for use as working paper and that all suggestions for improvement would be welcomed. Dept has emphasized necessity for interim governmental machinery in Palestine following termination of British mandate on May 15 and has suggested that draft trusteeship agreement represents means of obtaining such machinery on sound legal basis under Charter.

You are authorized to discuss draft trusteeship agreement on similar basis with appropriate officials of govt, to which you are accredited. Thus far drafting rather than substantive changes have been made in draft. Important changes will be telegraphed shortly. In meantime draft in your possession may be used in your discussions.

Brief report re your discussions including views obtained and changes suggested is requested by telegraph as soon as possible.

Legation Damascus is also authorized to discuss with reps. AHC. ConGen Jerusalem is authorized to discuss with JA and to bring to attention of Palestine Govt.²

Sent to Jidda, Cairo, Baghdad, Beirut, Damascus, Jerusalem, London and Paris for action. Repeated to USUN, N.Y. for info.

Lovett

1. See footnote 1, p. 778.
2. The Department, on April 19, authorized Ambassador Tuck to discuss the draft trusteeship agreement with Azzam Pasha (telegram 438 to Cairo, 501.BB Palestine/4–1948). Cairo reported, on April 22, that the latter was “frankly and bitterly hostile to agreement as unnecessarily replacing mandate by new regime possessing some handicaps, many additional defects and no redeeming features … Document would convince Arabs that US still sponsored eventual creation Jewish state not merely in part of Palestine but … in all Palestine.” (Telegram 398, 501.BB Palestine/4–2248)

   Consul Wasson, on April 21, discussed with Mr. Kohn the question of a trusteeship agreement. The latter, after consultation with members of the Jewish Agency, informed the Consul on April 30 that “the Jewish Agency does not find in the draft agreement even a basis for discussion, since it does not provide for establishment Jewish state.” (Telegram 515, April 30, 6 p. m., from Jerusalem, 501.BB Palestine/4–3048)