Foreign Relations of the United States, 1951, The Near East and Africa, Volume V

UNP Files: Lot 59 D 237

Memorandum by the Director of the Office of United Nations Political and Security Affairs (Wainhouse) to the Assistant Secretary of State for United Nations Affairs (Hickerson)¹

confidential

[Washington,] April 30, 1951.

Subject: Attached Draft Resolution.

The attached draft resolution was sent on by NE to Mr. Maffitt, USUN presumably last Thursday.² We first became aware of the existence of this draft this morning when Mr. Worcester of NE handed copies to Mr. Bechhoefer and Mr. Ludlow in anticipation of a 2 P M meeting in NE on it.

In a conversation which Mr. Ludlow had with Mr. Maffitt this morning, Mr. Ludlow learned that Mr. Maffitt had been talking to the British and French from this draft resolution. Mr. Ludlow told Mr. Maffitt that UNP had not seen this draft, nor did it know of its existence, and suggested to Mr. Maffitt that he not discuss this draft any further. Mr. Ludlow stated that the Department’s position is and remains that which was contained in Deptel 845 to USUN, April 13.³

I telephoned Mr. Kopper and on learning that he was out, talked to Mr. Wells Stabler who told me that this draft was sent on to Mr. Maffitt because the latter was in need of something with which to talk to the British and French; that NE had sought to clear this draft with officers in UNP but was unable to reach those officers!

The draft in substance, you will note, is unacceptable to UNP and is in excess of the Department’s position as set forth in Deptel 845.

I have requested Mr. Bechhoefer and Mr. Ludlow to concert with NE on a draft which would be mutually acceptable to both NE and UNA.

D[avid] W. W[ainhouse]

[Attachment]

[Extracts]

Draft Resolution

confidential

[undated.]

A.

1. The Security Council,

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2. Decides that the deterioration of the situation in the Demilitarized Zone provided for by Article 5 of the Israel–Syria Armistice Agreement of July 20, 1949, has resulted primarily from the refusal of the Israel Government to comply with the requests of the Chief of Staff of the UN Truce Supervision Organization regarding the engineering operations of the Palestine Land Development Company in the Demilitarized Zone.

3. Considers that this attitude on the part of Israel has resulted in the inability of the Mixed Armistice Commission to deal appropriately with the situation in the Demilitarized Zone.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

B.

1. The Security Council deplores the series of incidents which have occurred in the Demilitarized Zone resulting in the loss of Israeli and Arab lives and the bombing of Syrian soil by Israel military forces for which, it is noted, apology has been made by the Israel representative on April 25, 1951.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . .

1. Memorandum directed also to Mr. Sandifer.
2. April 26.
3. Ante, p. 635.