Foreign Relations of the United States, 1948, The Near East, South Asia, and Africa, Volume V, Part 2

501.BB Palestine/7–1348: Telegram

The Minister in Saudi Arabia (Childs) to the Secretary of State

confidential

Jidda, July 13, 1948—1 p. m.

412. Legtel 406, 12th.¹ British Ambassador states he received yesterday from FO verbal reply to his representations in behalf SA acceptance prolongation truce. Reply characterized Bernadotte proposals as being worse than status quo ante but said SAG would support with Arab states acceptable prolongation. Trott said he had been authorized to make strong representations including reminder that if Arabs rejected truce and UN applied sanctions HMG would be unable to fulfill its arms commitments to Arab states.²

Pouched Arab capitals.

Sent Department 412, repeated London 124.

Childs

1. Not printed.
2. Damascus, on July 12, reported a conversation with the Syrian Acting Foreign Minister in which the latter insisted that Count Bernadotte had proved himself pro-Zionist and that Syria would never consent to an extension of the truce until the Mediator’s absurd proposals had been scrapped. (Telegram 439, 501.BB Palestine/7–1248)