501.BB Palestine/10–1548: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Secretary of State, at Paris
Telmar 72. Eyes only Marshall and Rusk from Lovett. After long discussions Saturday and Sunday afternoons reference Delga 335 October 15,1 my present understanding with President is that no statement will be made by President or State Department in clarification [Page 1490] position regarding Mediator’s plan. President and his advisers appeared to feel that neither of the two drafts submitted adequately meet his problem, even reinforced by Bunche statement. Complexity of matter is such that they are prepared to leave situation in its momentarily quiescent status for the time being and have so far accepted my advice that we had better say nothing than say something wrong. I am unable estimate how long this decision will stand.
In conversation Sunday afternoon President was most insistent that our Delegation use utmost efforts to have debate on Mediator’s plan deferred until after elections if possible, using any parliamentary procedures available, and instructed me to request you to use every effort to avoid having U.S. Delegation drawn into the debate. When I explained difficulties this would cause it became evident that President and his advisers feel we have gratuitously taken the leading role and that we should let others carry the ball in connection with plan if we wish to make it possible for the President to avoid a public statement.
Since climax of campaign comes within next two weeks, President asked utmost cooperation in avoiding having matter thrown again into political debate here. At 9:40 Sunday night2 I received following message and was directed to transmit it to you top secret basis:
“From the President to Secretary of State.
I request that no statement be made or no action be taken on the subject of Palestine by any member of our Delegation in Paris without obtaining specific authority from me and clearing the text of any statement. H.S.T.”
Above was hand-delivered to my home by Clifford.
Separate cable3 gives report discussions on Arab refugees.4
- Not printed.↩
- October 17.↩
- Infra.↩
- This telegram was repeated to
Borne where a copy was turned over to Secretary Marshall on October
19. The latter was en route to Paris after his visit to Greece. Mr.
Rusk, at Paris, informed Mr. Lovett on October 19 that “In
Secretary’s absence I showed Telmar 72 to Austin and called special instruction from
White House contained therein to attention four principal delegates
present in Paris. Otherwise some untoward incident might have
occurred.” Mr. Rusk stressed that Senator Austin at no time spoke as
United States Representative but always as President of the Security
Council and that “No possible exception could be taken to his
conduct of meeting or his statements on any grounds contained in
Telmar 72.” (Telegram Delga 395)
In a memorandum of October 19 to Secretary Marshall, Mr. Rusk reported that the First Committee was ready to postpone action on the Palestine question. He concluded that “The general situation on Palestine, therefore, looks reasonably stable for the remainder of our election campaign. There will almost certainly be press stories that the United States has sought postponement; on the other hand, we can with complete accuracy point out that the majority in Committee 1 which objected to placing Palestine first on the agenda has grown even larger in favor of further postponement and that we have no choice in the matter whatever.” Both Delga 395 and Mr. Rusk’s memorandum are filed under 501.BB Palestine/10–1948.
↩