501.BB Palestine/4–2948: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Douglas) to the Secretary of State
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1842. 1. Late yesterday afternoon was the first possible occasion I had to confer with Bevin and Attlee regarding Deptels 1469, April 23, and 1506, April 27. Events in the House of Commons combined with the Silver Jubilee made prior meeting impossible.
2. Discussed situation for an hour, Bevin doing most of the talking and Attlee giving assent to what Bevin said and occasionally interrupting with short comments of his own.
3. Latest information as of Tuesday night received by British from Transjordan indicates that rumors to the effect that Abdullah is planning invasion of Palestine are without foundation.
4. British will use all influence possible to deter Abdullah from movement of Transjordan armed forces across Palestine frontier.1
[Page 877]5. British will bring to bear upon Arabs all their influence to agree to a truce if the terms of the truce are reasonable. (What are our latest ideas about general terms of a truce?)
Bevin believes that a truce should be effected within the next six to eight days, and that the US is the only power that can bring persuasion effectively to bear upon the Jews.
6. In the event truce can be arranged, the Jews and Arabs agree to sit around a table in good faith in an effort to settle their agreements [arguments?], and the British are asked to cooperate with others either by Security Council, Trusteeship Council, or other United Nations agency, they will reconsider their entire position on the understanding that they are not left in a solitary position of responsibility.
- Mr. Bevin informed Ambassador Douglas on
April 29 that the British Government had sent a message to Amman,
Damascus, Cairo, and Baghdad urging that no aggressive acts be
undertaken. The replies thus far received indicated that “if the
Jewish forces desist from provocative attacks and aggressive action
against Arab areas in Palestine, they, the Arab forces, will not
engage in offensive military operations. Several of the replies
indicate, however, that the Jews are on the offensive everywhere,
and that if this behavior continues it will be difficult for the
Arab forces to refrain from engaging in retaliatory action.”
(Telegram 1843, April 29, 8 p. m., from London, 867N.01/4–2948).
The same telegram contained an “appreciation of the situation” by High Commissioner Cunningham, which stressed the fear of the Jewish Agency “that the United States may attempt to impose trusteeship. These fears have finally convinced the Agency that their only course now is to establish a Jewish state and launch an all-out offensive against the Arabs to demonstrate Jewish military strength.”
The official British account of this conversation was conveyed to Secretary Marshall by Lord Inverchapel in his note G.96/55/48, dated April 30, not printed (867N.00/4–3048).
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