867N.01/12–848
The First Secretary of Embassy in the United Kingdom (Jones) to the Director of the Office of Near Eastern and African Affairs (Satterthwaite)
No. 8
Dear Joe: I write to you at another one of the periodic low water marks of Palestine. The boys in Paris from Jack Ross down feel completely sunk and I must say I share their feeling because we were on a good bicycle until somebody let the air out of the tires.
At present I am living the role of “whipping-boy.” My friends in the Foreign Office must have someone with whom they can “speak [Page 1651] frankly,” and I hear a great many things which I would blush to report.
One thing is certain; the boys in GADel fought the good fight step by step and even though hamstrung did better than we had reason to hope.
I sent you a telegram December 7 saying that the UK does not propose to take any further initiative on Palestine in the General Assembly but I doubt very much, considering the stake the UK has in the matter, that this self denial will extend much beyond the end of the General Assembly. Already I can foresee thoughts shaping up in the Foreign Office to the following effect:
UNGA has made hash of our fine theory of acquiescence and the resolution (if we get one) will be only a little better than no resolution at all. A kind of chaos will ensue in Palestine: the Jews will expand their holdings in Palestine in a relatively ordered fashion and the Arabs, without any formal basis, will shape themselves into new lines of occupation. Open negotiations between Arabs and Jews are most unlikely for the next few months, either with or without the Conciliation Commission. Moreover, UK cannot advise the Arabs to negotiate unless UK is convinced that Arabs have a sporting chance of gaining something from such negotiations. Unreserved US support for Israel’s territorial claims makes such negotiations difficult. If the UK and the US could reach an understanding regarding the location of the southern frontier of Israel a behind-the-scenes play could begin between Arabs and Jews which in a few months’ time might lead to a negotiated settlement. However, the US does not seem disposed to talk Israeli frontiers with the UK. This US must be persuaded to do because only a US–UK understanding of this kind backed firmly by the US offers any hope for settlement in Palestine.
I have carefully noted the Department’s view that no useful purpose would be served at this time by discussing with the UK territorial objectives (Department’s 4578[4518] December 3, 19481). However, I would like you (and Rob McClintock, to whom I am sending a copy of this letter) to be on notice that the idea of working out territorial objectives is likely to be reborn in the British Foreign Office in the relatively near future and it will be pushed pretty hard. I think that if there is any informal thinking on this score which can be sent here, it would be useful to me.
I think you will be interested in the attached editorial from the Spectator for November 26,2 captioned, “Towards a Palestine Settlement.” This makes a point which I consider valid.
With best wishes,
P.S. Some day I will show you with pride my extensive collection of draft telegrams which were never sent because their principal value was to relieve my feelings.