Foreign Relations of the United States, 1949, The Near East, South Asia, and Africa, Volume VI

501.MA Palestine/8–2449: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the United States Mission at the United Nations

confidential

Washington, August 27, 1949—3 p. m.

443. Reurtels 964¹ and 987² concerning second meeting UNRPR Ad Hoc Advisory Committee.

Dept agrees GA action for provisional continuance of UNRPR will be required before Nov. 1, but considers that relief program beyond immediate period should not be considered until report of Economic Survey Mission has been submitted. We feel that determination of relief requirements for 1950 and method of financing should be considered by GA against background of Survey Mission report which would probably not be available before Nov. 1. Consequently GA action early in the Assembly should merely provide an extension of life for UNRPR, call on members for additional contributions to meet $32 million budget, and authorize the Secretary General to advance sufficient funds from the Working Capital Fund for one or possibly two months operation in extremity, such advances to be paid from a supplement to the regular budget. Although we hope GA action on the Palestine question, including refugee relief, can be completed by Dec. 1, an advance for two mos operations would be more prudent.

While recognizing possible difficulties in obtaining favorable GA action along foregoing lines without indication of 1950 requirements, we feel that because of connection between relief requirements and estimated numbers who might be taken off relief in 1950 as a result of implementation of recommendations of Economic Survey Mission, it would be desirable to avoid submission of overall figure before Mission report. Per Capita cost figures would however be useful.

If SYG concurs in foregoing procedure we believe meeting of Ad Hoc Advisory Committee might be useful in preparing ground for provisional GA action.

Acheson

1. Dated August 23, 5:27 p. m., not printed; it relayed information from Secretary-General Lie that the General Assembly would probably give priority to the problem of extending assistance to the Palestine refugees (501.MA Palestine/8–2349).
2. Dated August 24, 10:33 p. m., not printed; it advised of Mr. Lie’s hope that the General Assembly would complete consideration of the refugee relief problem before November 1 and of official estimates that UNRPR funds would hold out through November (501.MA Palestine/8–2449).