501.BB Palestine/5–3148: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Embassy in the United Kingdom
niact
2015. British Embassy has discussed points raised your Niacts 2368 and 2372 May 311 with Dept and USUN. Embassy has also read us text of telegram which FO sent UK missions in Near East May 30, urging unconditional acceptance by Arab Govts of SC resolution of May 29. Please call on Bevin and say that we much appreciate his prompt and, we hope, effective action.
As for advice which friendly govts might give Arabs or Jews on moot points in SC resolution, you may tell Bevin and Bidault (repeated to Paris for similar action as 1890) that Jewish Agency has today informally approached USUN with a number of questions of interpretation on which Shertok requests our informal opinion.2 JA was referred to President of SC, with advice that this Govt could not unilaterally undertake to interpret SC resolution. For your info only, our preceding telegram repeats gist of JA questions.
Because of attitude taken vis-à-vis JA we do not feel that US should seek to coach Arab govts on interpretation of paragraphs three and four of SC resolution of May 29. We do feel however, and this [the] US missions to Arab Govts may state to Foreign Ministers, that essence of May 29 resolution is to secure cessation of hostilities during a four week period in which neither side would be able to build up its military potential. In consequence, to us most commonsense interpretation of paras 3 and 4 of SC resolution is that no men of military age should enter countries mentioned therein during four week period of cease fire. Four weeks are in fact a short time in which to recruit an army. If, however, there were legitimate need to permit immigration of men of military age to take up exclusively civilian pursuits, there should be adequate safeguards to ensure that these men are not to be used for military service.
On the whole, therefore, our interpretation is similar to that set forth in para 2 urtel 2368, which you should repeat to Paris and capitals listed below. We repeat that essence of SC resolution of May 29 is to achieve immediate end of hostilities in Palestine and that [Page 1083] during period of cease fire neither side shall be able to build up its military potential.3
Sent for action to London 2015; Paris 1890; Cairo 682; Beirut 283; Damascus 201; Baghdad 177; Jidda 210; Jerusalem 514. Repeated USUN 348; Haifa 92; Brussels 826; Moscow 616.
- Latter not printed.↩
- As transmitted in telegram 727, May 31, 12:43 p. m., from New York, not printed (501.BB Palestine/5–3148); for the questions of interpretation as they evolve into assumptions, see footnote 2, p. 1085.↩
- Ambassador Douglas, on June 1, reported that “When I informed Bevin of contents Department’s 2015, May 31, he expressed appreciation for prompt manner in which Department dealt with this problem and welcomed warmly the attitude which Department has adopted.… He thought that in Amman, Arab delegates would be quick to note similarity US and UK views.” (Telegram 2403, from London, 501.BB Palestine/6–148)↩