320/10–1251
The Assistant Secretary of State for United Nations Affairs (Hickerson) to the United States Representative on the Palestine Conciliation Commission (Palmer), at Paris1
My Dear Mr. Ambassador: Although you have probably not been officially informed, I am sure you have had in mind that the Department will wish you and Jim Barco to serve as advisers on the General [Page 891] Assembly Delegation during the period when the Palestine items are under consideration. We have no information as yet as to the time when the Palestine items may come up on the agenda. We assume that it probably would not be in the early stages of the session. We will advise you as soon as we have information as to the time when you may be needed.
In writing you this personal word now I should like to outline the developing views in the Department on the present activities and future role of the Conciliation Commission. We have been giving these matters very careful consideration. For the present, we believe that the conference is progressing as well as could be expected, if not better than we had reason to hope for. We detect, as you have, a healthy sign of moderation in the Arab statements thus far, appreciating, of course, that their statements, as usual, are more extreme than they need to be. As to the Israeli position, you have received our views regarding our concern over their attitude thus far and our hope that they may be inclined to appreciate the “unorthodox” way on negotiation which you and many of us have advocated to Israeli officials for a long time past. While we share your concern over the possibility of a press headline battle leading to a premature hardening of the positions of the Arab States and Israel, we believe that the conference is offering an excellent opportunity for the opposing views to be aired sufficiently to permit the parties themselves, the Commission, and the other Members of the United Nations fully to appreciate the differences and the potential areas of agreement, and to understand our view that the tissue-knitting progress between the parties, however slow, is the most productive toward a final peace settlement in the area.
Whether or not the parties agree upon a non-aggression declaration, or reach agreement on any of the other items, we see the conference as a necessary step towards the Commission’s preparing for the next General Assembly a full and frank report of its efforts to carry out its mandates. Should the conference be unproductive, it would be of even greater importance that the Commission’s report detail the reasons for the conference’s failure, and that the report be as frank as necessary in declaring exactly what are the difficulties which have confronted the Commission from its very establishment and which have prevented the parties from seeking or reaching any agreement of a substantial nature. Should the conference be unproductive you and your colleagues should not be afraid to say so, and you on the spot can best determine when impasse or failure has developed. Should such a situation develop it would seem wise to terminate the conference quickly, after which the Commission should expeditiously set about its task of writing a report for submission to the General Assembly.
[Page 892]If on the other hand, as we have reason yet to hope, the conference takes a few steps forward, however slight, it will be in greatest measure attributable to you.
We will, of course, be in continual communication with you whichever course the conference may take, but I would like to reiterate that we stand ready to render such guidance and assistance as we can. We do feel, however, that the Department should not intervene here with the parties on behalf of the Commission, since it is our desire that such negotiations as they may be take place between the parties through the Commission in Paris and not here in Washington.
Sincerely yours,
- Drafted by Mr. Ludlow.↩