Foreign Relations of the United States, 1948, The Near East, South Asia, and Africa, Volume V, Part 2

501.BB Palestine/9–1848: Telegram

The Acting Secretary of State to the United States Delegation to the United Nations General Assembly, at Paris ¹

secret

Washington , September 20, 1948—3 p. m.

Gadel 25. [For Jessup.] Dept. view that unless direct pecuniary loss sustained by UN on account murder Bernadotte, inappropriate for UN demand indemnity PGI. Delga 65, Sep 18.² Punitive damages not generally favored in international law even as between states. Matter propriety apology UN left your discretion.

Lovett

1. The first part of the Third Regular Session of the United Nations General Assembly opened at Paris on September 21, 1948, and lasted until December 12. The United States Delegation was headed by Secretary Marshall until his departure for Washington on November 21. With respect to the membership of the U.S. Delegation, see vol. i, Part 1, pp. 9–20 and Department of State Bulletin, September 12, 1948, p. 330.
2. Not printed, it suggested that if it were “duly established that PGI failed to use means at disposal to prevent murder or to punish murderers, it would be responsible to make apology and pay indemnity to UN” (501.BB Palestine/9–1848). A further exchange of telegrams on this subject (Delga 93, September 23, from Paris, and Gadel 49, September 24, in reply, 501.BB Palestine/9–2348) is not printed.