Foreign Relations of the United States, 1950, The Near East, South Asia, and Africa, Volume V

350/2–2750: Telegram

The United States Delegation to the Trusteeship Council to the Secretary of State

secret
priority

Geneva, February 27, 1950—4 p. m.

285. Tcdel 101. 1. On March 1 TC commences second reading Jerusalem draft statute with article by article vote.

(a) USDel recommends that while continuing to cooperate with TC in technical drafting of statute we should in general abstain in voting on those articles which deal with principle or practice of complete internationalization of area included in GA Resolution of December 9. (We understand UKDel is instructed along foregoing lines).

(b) Our present thinking would be to abstain on following articles: Preamble, 1 through 6, 8 through 29, 32 through 35, 37, 39 through 41, 43 and 44. We are concerned particularly with Article 2 which has been much discussed and vote on which will be regarded as particularly significant. Our thought is based on following reasons:

• (1) Affirmative vote on above articles would probably be interpreted as US giving its unqualified support to complete internationalization;
• (2) Affirmative vote would subject US to possible embarrassment and later difficulties re implementation;
• (3) Negative vote on other hand would more easily subject US to criticism on ground US disregarding GA Resolution;
• (4) Attitude of Belgium and Australia (who voted for GA Resolution December 9) re Article 2 (Tcdel 92, February 22¹).

(c) Our present thinking is that we should vote in favor Articles 7, 30, 36, 38 and 42 in the belief that principles contained in these articles could well be introduced in any arrangement for Jerusalem which might ultimately be worked out.

(d) In view foregoing reasons we recommend that we abstain on statute as whole.

2. USDel also requests guidance re question of form of approval or adoption of statute. Tcdel 96, February 23² set forth French belief that TC should appoint Governor immediately upon adoption statute. USDel, considering its general instructions³ and Department’s desire avoid special session GA, believes this first step toward implementation should be avoided if possible and envisages possibility proceeding along lines TC action in April 1948, namely have TC decide, on completion preparation draft statute, that statute is “now in satisfactory form,” but postpone its formal approval, and ask TC President to submit it to Israel and Jordan as de facto authorities in Jerusalem for final consideration insofar as they concerned prior to formal approval by TC. If reply negative or qualified TC could at this or preferably at June session consider situation again and, if no alterations or other compromise acceptable, TC could then draw up report for GA next regular session stating inability implement and referring matter back for consideration.

3. Appreciate Department’s guidance soonest.

Sent Department 285, repeated London 77, Jerusalem unnumbered, Department pass Tel Aviv unnumbered, Amman unnumbered, USUN unnumbered.

1. Not printed; but see footnote 1, p. 754.
2. Identified also as telegram 272 from Geneva, not printed.
3. This reference is presumably to the instructions incorporated in telegram 641, December 13, 1949, to the United States Mission at the United Nations, Foreign Relations, 1949, vol. vi, p. 1538.