subject to the possibility, of course, that if anything special comes up, we can have a special meeting of the ministers. But I think that it is probably true that in these treaty organizations we want to-all of us want to strengthen the Councils, that is, to strengthen the local representatives so that the most responsible and active discussion can go on among those who are permanently there, so that things don't come to a crescendo just when the foreign ministers meet.

CONSTRUCTION OF A TELECOMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM LINKING THE THREE REGIONAL MEMBERS OF THE CENTRAL TREATY ORGANIZATION: Announcement Issued by the Department of State, September 29, 19617

B. The Palestine Refugee Problem

288. UNITED STATES OPPOSITION TO THE SUGGESTED APPOINTMENT OF A UNITED NATIONS CUSTODIAN OF ARAB REFUGEE PROPERTY IN ISRAEL: Statement Made by the U.S. Representative (Plimpton) Before the U.N. General Assembly, April 21, 1961 1

The United States of America, which has contributed so much to the care and welfare of the Arab refugees over the last twelve years, has found it necessary-to its very deep regret-to stand before this body in a difference of opinion with those Governments which have been hosts to those refugees. But such is the situation today, and we feel that the refugees themselves would not benefit, nor would this body, if that difference of opinion were ignored.

As all the delegations here realize, it had been the strong view of my Government that no useful purpose would be served by the adoption at this session of a resolution with respect to the refugees. No formal action was required on the report of the Director of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East. The entire problem of the Palestine refugees is to be thoroughly examined at the sixteenth session. Thus, a resolution now must necessarily be incomplete and tentative. At the session which commences only five months from now, full consideration can be given to the entire complex of pertinent problems, and appropriate recommendations can be made. The Arab delegations, however, desired a resolution now.

Department of State press release No. 674; the Department of State Bulletin, Oct. 16, 1961, p. 642.

1U.N. doc. A/PV.993, pp. 446-447.

3

U.N. doc. A/4478.

As provided in par. 1 of U.N. General Assembly Res. 1456 (XIV) of Dec. 9, 1959; text in American Foreign Policy: Current Documents, 1959, pp. 1044-1045.

In a spirit of accommodation, the delegations of the Governments which have long contributed, and which are now contributing substantially, to the care and welfare of the refugees, agreed to consider any reasonable proposals. There were lengthy and friendly negotiations to the end that we might have a mutually satisfactory resolution. We made it clear that we did not see any wisdom in the interjection into this already complicated picture of any new substantive, contentious, and further complicating elements. The Arab delegations, however, felt differently, and tabled a draft resolution containing paragraphs aimed at the eventual appointment by the United Nations of a United Nations custodian or trustee of property left behind in what is now Israel by the Arab refugees.*

So that there may be no doubt as to why we believed the novel mechanism the Arab delegations proposed would not be helpful, let me say that my Government views the institution by the United Nations of any custodial function concerning Arab properties in Israel as not feasible. This great body is confronted with more than enough frustrations on the Palestine problem. Beyond this, we have had grave doubts as to the various difficult legal questions which would be involved.

The General Assembly at this session could not be expected to examine with adequate thoroughness the pertinent implications and ramifications of this custodianship or trusteeship concept.

We are not defending Israel, or the arguments of Israel or anyone else, and we are not bitterly opposing anything. Our only concern is with the refugees; and it is our honest and deliberate judgment that the introduction of the property-custodian concept of the Arab spokesmen will hurt the refugees and further delay the solution of their problem which all of us so long for. That is the reason we have opposed the two paragraphs of the draft resolution looking towards custodianship.

My Government has always faithfully held that the rights of the Arab refugees are defined in paragraph 11 of resolution 194 (III), and the United States has always endorsed, defended and supported those rights, and, for the information of the representative of Saudi Arabia, I repeat that the United States now defends and endorses and supports those rights. Far from denying these rights, my delegation introduced before the Special Political Committee a draft resolution

The paragraphs of the draft resolution (A/SPC/L.61) referred to, one preambular and the other operative, read as follows:

"Recognizing the need to safeguard the property rights of the Arab refugees of Palestine,"

and

"2. Recommends to the General Assembly at its sixteenth session the establishment of appropriate and effective machinery for safeguarding the property rights of the Arab refugees of Palestine."

As claimed by the Representative of Saudi Arabia at this same meeting; see U.N. doc. A/PV. 993, pp. 438-441.

"Text in A Decade of American Foreign Policy: Basic Documents, 1941–1949, pp. 851-853.

specifically reaffirming and endorsing those rights. Our only point of difference with our Arab friends is that we do not believe those rights, in their present context, need any modification. In fact, in our view, the Assembly should, at its next session, take particular care that the putting into effect of paragraph 11 of resolution 194 (III) will not be prejudiced or compromised by what this draft resolution proposes. There is another consideration which my Government is now constrained to voice, about operative paragraph 1 of the proposed draft resolution, which notes that the United Nations Conciliation Commission for Palestine has not been able to report progress on the settlement of the Palestine problem. I speak only for my Government and not for the other two members of the Commission, but we feel impelled to observe that the effort to introduce the Arab propertycustodian concept into this tragic refugee question can only result in further animus and misunderstanding between the parties principally concerned and make the achievement of an early solution considerably less probable.

This concept can only render the Commission's prospects of success more bleak. It constitutes yet another hurdle in the way of progress and the ultimate best interests of the refugees. The United States, as a loyal Member of the United Nations, has voluntarily borne far more than its share of the burden for the care of the Arab refugees, pending a solution of this problem. If other Members see virtue in actions that may tend to prolong the refugee dilemma, we trust that those Members will be prepared to assume an increased responsibility for that burden.

The care and training of the refugees and the endeavor to achieve a just and peaceful settlement are multilateral responsibilities. We hope that all Member Governments will, in their preparation for the crucial consideration of the item at the sixteenth session, give primary consideration to the future welfare of the refugees themselves. The problem should be the subject of far-sighted humanitarian concern and not, we submit, short-sighted political manipulation.

289. REQUEST FOR FURTHER EFFORTS TO SECURE THE REPATRIATION, RESETTLEMENT, REHABILITATION, AND COMPENSATION OF THE PALESTINE REFUGEES: Resolution 1604 (XV), Adopted by the U.N. General Assembly, April 21, 1961 o

The General Assembly,

9

Recalling its resolutions 194 (III) of 11 December 1948, 302 (IV) of 8 December 1949, 393 (V) of 2 December 1950, 513 (VI) of 26 Jan

9

'U.N. doc. A/SPC/L.65.

Representing France and Turkey.

U.N. General Assembly Official Records, Fifteenth Session, Supplement No. 16A (A/4684/Add. 1), p. 6. This resolution, sponsored by the Representatives of Afghanistan, Indonesia, Malaya, Pakistan, and Somalia, was adopted (as amended) by a vote of 37 (including the U.S.) to 17, with 38 abstentions.

uary 1952, 614 (VII) of 6 November 1952, 720 (VIII) of 27 November 1953, 818 (IX) of 4 December 1954, 916 (X) of 3 December 1955, 1018 (XI) of 28 February 1957, 1191 (XII) of 12 December 1957, 1315 (XIII) of 12 December 1958 and 1456 (XIV) of 9 December 1959,10 Noting the annual report of the Director of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, covering the period 1 July 1959-30 June 1960,11

Noting with deep regret that repatriation or compensation of the refugees as provided for in paragraph 11 of General Assembly resolution 194 (III) has not been effected, that no substantial progress has been made in the programme endorsed in paragraph 2 of resolution 513 (VI) for the reintegration of refugees either by repatriation or resettlement and that, therefore, the situation of the refugees continues to be a matter of serious concern,

1. Notes with regret that the United Nations Conciliation Commission for Palestine has not yet been able to report progress on carrying out the task entrusted to it in paragraph 4 of General Assembly resolution 1456 (XIV), and again requests the Commission to make efforts to secure the implementation of paragraph 11 of Assembly resolution 194 (III) and report thereon not later than 15 October 1961; 2. Directs attention to the precarious financial position of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East and urges Governments to consider to what extent they can contribute or increase their contributions so that the Agency can carry out its programmes;

3. Expresses its thanks to the Director and the staff of the Agency for their continued faithful efforts to carry out the mandate of the Agency, and to the specialized agencies and the many private organizations for their valuable and continuing work in assisting the refugees.

"THE REHABILITATION OF THE PALESTINE REFUGEES HAS PROVED TO BE A MUCH MORE DIFFICULT AND A MUCH LONGER-TERM TASK THAN WAS AT FIRST ENVIS AGED": Annual Report of the Director of the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, Covering the Period July 1, 1960-June 30, 1961, Submitted August 26, 1961 12

10 For the source citations of these resolutions, see American Foreign Policy: Current Documents, 1959, p. 1044, footnotes 2-12.

"U.N. doc. A/4478; cited as an unnumbered title in American Foreign Policy: Current Documents, 1960, p. 480.

12 U.N. General Assembly Official Records, Sixteenth Session, Supplement No. 14 (A/4861). The report was not made public until Oct. 4, 1961.

FURTHER EFFORTS TOWARD SECURING COMPENSATION FOR AND RELEASE OF BLOCKED ACCOUNTS OF THE PALESTINE REFUGEES: Nineteenth Progress Report of the U.N. Conciliation Commission for Palestine, Covering the Period November 12, 1960 to October 13, 1961, Submitted October 13, 1961 13

"NO PROGRESS CAN BE MADE ON THE PALESTINE ARAB REFUGEE QUESTION APART FROM, OR IN ADVANCE OF, AN OVER-ALL SETTLEMENT": Report of the Special Representative of the U.N. Conciliation Commission for Palestine (Johnson), Submitted November 24, 1961 14

290. UNITED STATES REQUEST FOR "COOPERATIVE SUPPORT" OF THE NEW ENDEAVOR OF THE PALESTINE CONCILIATION COMMISSION "TO FIND A WAY FOR SOME PROGRESS ON THE PALESTINE REFUGEE PROBLEM": Statement Made by the U.S. Representative (Plimpton) in the Special Political Committee of the U.N. General Assembly, December 19, 1961 15

As the Committee now has before it a resolution A/SPC/L.79 sponsored by the United States Delegation,16 I should like to make some brief remarks in support of that resolution explaining why we have put it forward and what we hope to achieve by it.

In its statement in the general debate on this item, the United States Delegation laid stress on the fact that for the first time in several years we have a new element in the situation." That new element is the initiation of a new though very modest endeavor to find a way for some progress on the Palestine Refugee problem. I refer of course to the Palestine Conciliation Commission's appointment of a special representative, Dr. Joseph E. Johnson, to conduct an exploratory mission with the governments concerned.ís In my statement in the general debate I expressed our hope that there would not be made at this time any other proposal which would cut across this PCC initiative or affect adversely whatever prospects there may be for its useful continuance. Thus, the United States has made clear from the outset its opposition to anything that might tend to divert attention from that simple, direct and constructive initiative. This of course means that we shall be obliged, regretfully, to oppose such other proposals, whether in the

17

The text of Mr. Plimpton's statement of Dec. 7, 1961, is contained in U.S.-U.N. press release 3879.