Office of the Historian

867N.01/2–1948: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Embassy in Iraq

Washington, February 19, 1948.

56. Text statement issued Feb 16 by White House Press Secretary Charles Ross follows:

“In an effort to prevent the spread of disorder in the Middle East this Government has, during recent months, addressed appeals to certain interested governments stressing the importance, in the interest of Middle East security and world peace, of the exercise of restraint in dealing with the Palestine situation. Some of these appeals were made directly by the President.”1

Marshall

  1. This message was repeated to Cairo, Damascus, Beirut, and Jerusalem; a separate telegram, No. 46, was sent to Jidda the same day (867N.01/2–1848).

    For the message sent on behalf of President Truman to the King of Egypt, on December 26, 1947, see Foreign Relations, 1947, vol. v, p. 1319; the message to the Governor General of Pakistan on January 28, 1948, is printed in telegram 31 to Karachi, p. 569; and the nature of the message to the King of Saudi Arabia is indicated in footnote 3 to telegram 31 to Karachi.

    President Truman, in his Memoirs, vol. ii, p. 159, writes that “On February 13 it was reported to me from our diplomatic missions in the area that the Arabs were expected to start full-scale military operations in late March.

    “I published an appeal to the Arab leaders to preserve the peace and practice moderation. They rejected it flatly, charging that the United States had contributed to the unrest by supporting the Zionist cause. That was on February 17, 1948.”

    The editors have not been able to find a report to the President on February 13 or a reply from the Arab leaders dated February 17.

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