Office of the Historian

501.BB Palestine/3–3049: Telegram

The Secretary of State to Mr. Ralph J. Bunche 1

confidential
Washington, March 30, 1949—7 p. m.

For Acting UN Mediator for Palestine. US Govt refers its proposals of Sept 19482 re export aircraft parts for Near East commercial airline needs, which proposals were concurred in by you Sept 18.3

This Govt considering desirability liberalizing policy to permit export to Israel and to Arab States, without prior approval of Mediator, aircraft, spares, other aviation items which US Govt satisfied required for establishment and maintenance civil air services and rehabilitation civil air navigation, communications and ground facilities, not limited to services in effect July 15, 1948. Request your early views this proposal.

Acheson
  1. This telegram was sent to Cairo as No. 339 and repeated to Rhodes. Mr. Bunche, at Rhodes, replied in an undated telegram, received in the Department on April 3, that he concurred in the liberalizing policy. Henceforth, he said, “if US Government satisfied such items will be used for non-military purposes only, I see no need to obtain prior approval of Mediator for issuance of export permits.” (Navy telegram NCR 3768, 501.BB Palestine/4–349)↩
  2. See telegram 908, September 16, 1948, to Jerusalem, Foreign Relations, 1948, vol. v, Part 2, p. 1406.↩
  3. See footnote 1, ibid., p. 1408.↩