Office of the Historian

501.BB Palestine/8–1848

Memorandum by the Director of the Office of United Nations Affairs (Rusk) to the Under Secretary of State (Lovett)

top secret
[Washington,] August 18, 1948.

Subject: Deterioration in Palestine Situation

Your attention is invited urgently to Mr. Douglas’s telegram 3732 of August 17, reporting Bevin’s very serious concern over the Palestine situation and his hope that this government will be able to take immediate and forceful steps with the Provisional Government of Israel to halt Jewish aggression. You will note that Bevin requests an answer by today, the 18th.

Mr. Douglas’s telegram underscores the need for action pursuant to the memorandum to the President which was submitted by the Secretary to the White House on August 16. I venture to suggest, therefore, that you or the Secretary inquire of the President his reaction to this memorandum, particularly in light of Ambassador Douglas’s telegram of yesterday.1

Copies of these documents are attached.

  1. Marginal notation by Mr. Lovett: “Called Clifford 6 PM”.↩