UN Palestine Commission – Service of British officers after 15 May – Letter from United Kingdom

22 March 1948

UNITED NATIONS PALESTINE COMMISSION

Communication received trout United Kingdom

Delegation concerning Service of British

Officers of the Palestine Administration

After 15 May.

The following communication, concerning the continuance in service of British Officers of the Palestine Administration up to and after 15 May, has been received from Mr. Fletcher-Cooke of the United Kingdom Delegation.

COPY/ks

UNITED KINGDOM DELEGATION TO THE UNITED NATIONS

Empire State Building

New York 1, N.Y.

18th March, 1948

My dear Ralph,

Many thanks for your letter of the 17th March in which you enclosed for the information of this Delegation a copy of the answers of the Commission to the questions submitted to them by certain Permanent Members of the Security Council.

May I draw your attention to a small point in paragraph 1 of your “omnibus acknowledgment” letter also dated the 17th March. You there refer to my confidential letter of the 12th March “concerning the continuance in service of British officers of the Palestine Administration after the 15th May”. I hope that paragraph 2 of my letter of the 12th March did not leave you under any misapprehension on this point. So far as I am aware, there is no question of British officers continuing in service in Palestine after the 15 May, except where much officers sever their connection with the Public Service of His Majesty and volunteer as individuals for service with the Commission. As I stated in the fourth sentence of paragraph 8 of my letter of the 12th March, all the British officers at present serving the Palestine Administration will be leaving on or before the 15th May. The question at issue was not, of course, whether they would remain after the 15th May, but whether they would leave some time in April or remain to the bitter end, i.e. the 15th May, if they could be of any assistance to the Commission in discussions which would facilitate the assumption by the Commission of their subsequent responsibility for the administration of Palestine. I should be grateful for your confirmation that there is no misunderstanding on this point.

I must also thank you for your letter of the 15th March in which you enclosed a copy of a communication from the President of the local Council at Bat yam. I have sent a copy of this communication to Jerusalem.

I am also in consultation with Loudon and Jerusalem regarding the Commission’s request for clarification of certain statements alleged to have been made as regards Jewish detainees at Gilgil (your letter of 11th March and enclosures refer).

Yours ever.

Mr. J. Fletcher-Cooke (signed)

Ralph J. Bunche,

Principal Secretary to the United Nations

Commission on Palestine, United Nations, Lake Success.