683.84A322/12–953: Telegram
No. 751
The United States Representative at the
United Nations (Lodge) to the Department of
State
priority
285. For the Secretary from Lodge. Re: Palestine in SC. This refers to telegram 2811 regarding Palestine.
Believe it is utterly vital that nothing that the US does on this question should allow any ground for the contention that this administration is moving away from minimum positions taken by the preceding administration. What we do in the future should and will be different, but we must not do anything which looks like trying to turn back the clock.
In this spirit I point out that the previous administration is clearly on record as favoring general development of the area which I have tried to cover in my paragraph 11 in language which [Page 1455] is taken directly from statements made here by the US on the Huleh question, May 18, 1951.
The previous administration also made it very clear that they considered that this matter should be viewed on the basis of civilian and peaceful development and not on the basis of military advantage and that the word “demilitarization” was intended to cover troops and not topographic and other features. It was for these reasons I included reference to the truce superseding the armistice in paragraph 1, and demilitarization in paragraph 9.
I also regard these points as vital as regards my paragraph 12. I hope I may have authority to include it in our statement if you do not desire to have it in the resolution, although I believe it is less contentious to include it in the resolution.
I am discussing this with French and British and will let you know their reactions.