Secretary of State George C. Marshall today replied to a letter which 30 Republican Congressmen wrote him last week asking him to define what the United States is prepared to do to implement the U.N. decision to partition Palestine.
“Until the Security Council has received and studied the report of the Palestine Commission on security and enforcement and has reached a decision it is not possible for this government to determine in advance the steps which may be necessary to carry out such a decision,” Secretary Marshall wrote.
Marshall pointed out that many organs of the U.N. were involved in implementing the decision, such as the Trusteeship Council and the Economic and Social Council, and that U.S. delegates to these bodies have been cooperating in steps toward implementation of the decision.
Without Knowing what recommendations the Palestine Commission will make regarding security and enforcement in Palestine in their report, due February 16, the State Department finds it “impossible to formulate instructions to the United States representatives on the Security Council,” Marshall stated.
Marshall also replied that “this government has so information in its possession, indicating that to date the continuance of British treaty shipments has interfered with the carrying out of the recommendation of the General Assembly on Palestine.” He referred the 30 Congressmen to British official statements asserting teat arms were being sent to Middle Eastern countries “under existing contracts” resulting from treaty obligations and declaring that the British Government believed ### such material “will be used in Palestine.”
Questioned about Arab activities in resisting the U.N. decision, Marshall replied that “there have thus far been no overt acts which in the decision of the Security Council of the United Nations, have been determined to endanger the maintenance of international peace and security in the terms of the United Nations Charter.” He said it is Britain’s responsibility to maintain peace in the Mandate. He reiterated U.S. proclamations upholding the Charter and the statement of the U.S. delegate on October 11, 1947, that “we assume there will be Charter observance.
“As the President and I have on several occasions made clear,” Marshall said, we regard the solution of this immensely difficult problem as a United Nations solution and our contribution to that end will be as a member and steadfast supporter of the United Nations. “
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