501.BB Palestine/9–1448: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Embassy in the United Kingdom
3661. Embtel 4111, Sept 14. Our tactical course in immediate future will be determined as soon as we have McClintock’s and Troutbeck’s reports re Mediator’s views.
Meanwhile reply para 4 reftel we believe our action should be based on procedure outlined Deptel 3544, Sept 8. We hope it will be possible keep Palestine question out GA or SC but anticipate it will be raised by some Member or Bernadotte may wish report to SC or UN Members under GA resolution May 14. In any event we anticipate US–UK views or Mediator’s suggestions will become known at early date as envisaged para 2 Embtel 3962 Sept 3. Consequently Bernadotte’s over-all suggestions might well be included as conclusions in his report either to members GA or to SC. It is hoped Bernadotte will give us advance notice content his report so US–UK can begin quiet diplomatic preparation with Arabs and Jews. We doubt Mediator’s conclusions should be divided into separate reports as this would tend [Page 1397] confuse issue. We also doubt factual report by Mediator at present stage would suffice. We do not think Mediator’s conclusions can be kept secret for 3- or 4-week period mentioned. It accordingly seems preferable make Mediator’s conclusions public and endeavor mobilize world opinion to persuade acceptance by parties.
Ref para 5, we concur.
Ref para 6 we do not agree special guarantee re frontier should be provided by UN (Brit for their part could, however, extend treaty obligations in agreement with Egypt and Transjordan). We do not agree, furthermore, that UN could give general guarantee in form of resolution recommending Mediator’s lines as international frontier and violation of such lines as breach of peace. We have consistently taken position (ref Austin’s Feb. 24 statement) that political recommendations GA or SC could not be put into effect by force. However it may be possible for Bernadotte draw truce line which might eventually become frontier on which parties could agree.1
- This telegram was repeated as 3660 to Paris far Messrs. Jessup and Ross.↩