501.BB Palestine/8–2748: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Douglas) to the Secretary of State
3879. 1. I told Bevin this morning when we discussed outline of Palestine settlement which he had handed me last night (see my 38801) that I would put his latest views to Department at once. I said I could not predict Department’s reaction to them but that, like himself, I hoped it would be possible for US and UK to work out an agreed line in near future.
2. Bevin said he had been authorized at yesterday’s Cabinet meeting to continue the conversations already begun with USG through this channel and to present to Department as next stage in these talks settlement quoted my 3880. Cabinet gave him full discretion to agree with USG on what seems most appropriate organ of UN and method of conducting our business there. Cabinet authorization was given on understanding that what US and UK should seek is a UN decision to which the Arabs and Jews would acquiesce. Bevin said last was possibly the most important difference from US views as set forth in Department’s 3187 August 12 (see Paragraph 3, Embassy’s 3851 August 15 [25]), but Cabinet agreed with him that at this stage it would be impractical to attempt to get the parties to negotiate an agreement. Bevin stressed fact that he is quite ready to continue discussions over whole field.
3. As of help to Department in appraising the thinking underlying the “outline of settlement,” Bevin handed me the informal Foreign Office working paper quoted my 3881.2 This closely approximates Embassy’s 3851 August 25.