UN Palestine Commission – Palestine Museum at Jerusalem – Letter from United Kingdom

UNITED NATIONS PALESTINE COMMISSION

Communication Received from United Kingdom Delegation

on the Subject of the Palestine Museum at Jerusalem

The following communication, with reference to the Palestine Museum, Jerusalem, has been received from Mr. Fletcher-Cooke of the United Kingdom Delegation.

UNITED KINGDOM DELEGATION TO THE UNITED NATIONS

Empire State Building

New York 1, N.Y.

18th February, 1948

My dear Bunche,

May I refer to my letter of the 4th February on the subject of the Palestine Museum at Jerusalem.

I enclose a copy of the reply I have received from Mr. Arthur W. Packard on behalf of Mr. John D. Rockefeller, Jr., the terms of which I have communicated to the Government of Palestine by telegram. I also enclose a copy of my letter to Mr. Packard.

You will no doubt bring this correspondence to the notice of the Commission.

Yours sincerely,

J. Fletcher-Cooke (signed)

Dr. Ralph J. Bunche,

Principal Secretary to the United Nations

Commission on Palestine,

United Nations,

Lake Success.

30 Rockefeller Plaza

New York 20 N.Y.

February 17, 1948.

Mr. J. Fletcher-Cooke,

Under Secretary, Government of Palestine,

United Nations Delegation to the United Nations,

Empire State Building,

New York 1 New York.

Dear Sir:

Because the Palestine Museum in Jerusalem was established and endowed by a personal gift from Mr. John D. Rockefeller, Jr., (not by the Rockefeller Foundation, although Mr. Rockefeller was at the time Chairman of the Board of the Rockefeller Foundation), your letter of February 4 to Mr. Raymond Fosdick, replying to his letter of January 9, has been referred to the office of Mr. John D. Rockefeller, Jr.

I am authorised to say for Mr. Rockefeller Jr. that with the completion of his gift his personal relationship to the Museum terminated; and the responsibility of every phase of the Museum and its future was placed wholly in the hands of the Palestine Government, which was to administer the enterprise under the terms of the gift. Under these circumstances it is not felt that Mr. Rockefeller, Jr. could appropriately express any opinion in regard to the matters of which you write. This does not, of course imply any disagreement of opposition to the plan developed in your letter. In any event, in view of his personal unfamiliarity with the many ramifications and relationships which are involved in the present situation, you will understand his indisposition to comment in ways which might exert any influence.

With every appreciation of the attention which you are addressing to the problem, and of your courtesy in communicating with us, I am,

Very sincerely

Arthur W. Packard

18th February, 1948,

18^th February 1948

Dear Mr. Packard,

I have to thank you for your letter of 17th February on the subject of the Palestine Museum in Jerusalem.

I am very grateful for this expression of Mr. John D. Rockefeller, Jr’s, views, which I have conveyed to the Government of Palestine by telegram.

Yours sincerely,

J. Fletcher-Cooke

Under Secretary, Government of Palestine

Mr. Arthur W. Packard,

Room 5600,

30 Rockefeller Plaza,

New York 20,

New York.