Cablegram 75 CANBERRA, 25 March 1947, 3.40 p.m.
Your D268 and 54, Palestine.
We note with interest United States agreement with our view that an Ad Hoc Committee may not be regarded as satisfactory.
2. We note also that your concern is to have matter settled at this coming Assembly Meeting and that you consider, therefore, a fact-finding committee should carry ou[t] preliminary work before the Assembly Meeting.
3. In these circumstances, we consider the United States proposal for a special Assembly meeting is perhaps the best solution. The Secretary-General’s complaint regarding expense can be met by allowing this special meeting of the Assembly to discuss not only Palestine but also the financing of the United Nations which apparently is at present a matter of concern to the Secretary- General.
4. We suggest, therefore, that the United Kingdom and the United States both immediately endeavour to obtain the consent of a majority of the members of the United Nations in accordance with Article 20 for the calling of a special session. An alternative which you might consider is to refer the matter immediately to the Security Council with a request that they ask the Secretary- General to call a special session.
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[AA : A1838, TS852/19/1]