867N.01/3–1845: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Chargé in Iraq (Moreland)52
116. In reply to the inquiry of the Prime Minister contained in your 110, March 18, noon, you may state that the Reuter’s report in question is substantially correct and undoubtedly refers to a statement [Page 697] issued by Rabbi Stephen S. Wise following a conference with the President on March 16. No statement was issued by the President in this connection. In discussing this matter with local officials you should point out that the Rabbi’s statement refers to possible action at some future time. In this same connection, it will be recalled that the President’s letter of October 15, 1944, to Senator Wagner53 regarding the Palestine plank adopted by the Democratic Party stated “efforts will be made to find appropriate ways and means of effectuating this policy as soon as practicable”. You may state that the President is, of course, keeping in mind the assurances which were communicated on a number of occasions to the Governments of certain Near Eastern countries, including Iraq, to the effect that in the view of this Government no decision altering the basic situation of Palestine should be reached without full consultation with both Arabs and Jews. You may renew these assurances to the Government of Iraq.
Sent to Baghdad, repeated to London and to Cairo, to be repeated by Cairo to Beirut, Jerusalem, Damascus and Jidda.
- Marginal notation by the Acting Secretary: “Approved by the President. J.C.G.”; repeated to London as telegram 2279 and to Cairo as telegram 685.↩
- Foreign Relations, 1944, vol. v, p. 615.↩