Speech #800054578

Again. the AngloAmerican Committee of Inquiry suggested a trusteeship under the United Nations to see Palestine through a transitory period until a commonwealth could be achieved. Will the United States consent to be one of the trustees and to participate in the negotiation of a trusteeship agreement? Third. the focal point of disaffection in Palestine and in the world regarding Palestine is the stoppage of immigration. The United States could urge upon the special committee that it make interim recommendations for immigration into Palestine until a final solution is agreed to. Declarations on these questions would be policy and would look much different to the people of the United States and the people of the world than the statement in Secretary Marshalls letter of May 5 that "it would be premature for this Government to develop its policy with regard to the future government of Palestine." The United States insisted in the United Nations on a neutral committee of nations. If we are to take the State Department and the United States delegate at their word. then the United States should have been a member of such a committee because it is neutral. I do not imply any criticism of either our distinguished Secretary of State to whom I pay the greatest honor. or of our eminent and gracious delegate to the United Nations. I feel rather that it is our fault in the Congress and among the people that we have not made our position so crystal clear on Palestine. that our Secretary of State and our delegate to the United Nations would speak out without hesitation at this session of the general assembly for the redemption of the promise of the Jewish national home. and for Jewish immigration into and close settlement on the land of Palestine. We have had other experiences with this kind of dealing by the United States Government regarding Palestine which could happen here again. At almost the same time that the President was giving assurances regarding Palestine to the Jews in the United States late in 1944 and in 1945. he was on April 5. 1945. writing to ibnSaud. the King of Saudi Arabia. that the United States would take no action on Palestine "without full consultation with both Arabs and Jews." or "which. might prove hostile to the Arab people." This declaration arose to plague President Truman when he was advised on October 5. 1946. by King ibnSaud that the Government of Saudi Arabia considered his demand for the admission of 100.000 Jewish displaced persons into Palestine to be a contradiction "of previous promises made by the Government of the United States." certainly not a pretty position for the United States to be placed in.