Cablegram UNP76, CANBERRA, 13 November 1948, 1.10 p.m.
IMMEDIATE RESTRICTED
Your Austdel 169[1] and 203.[2] Palestine Relief.
1. Please inform Secretary-General that having studied the response made to Bernadotte’s original appeal we feel unable even to consider any further commitment in the absence of a general plan approved by the Assembly which will ensure that other countries in a position to assist will carry an equitable share of the burden of relief. (This confirms our UNP.65.) 2. Requests on particular members for emergency help should be considered on their merits in the light of obligations accepted by all members.
3. We are disturbed at rejection of an operational scale of contributions as a general target and uncertainty of U.S. contributions beyond 5 million dollars. At same time reimbursement of Capital Fund is to be voluntary only. These nebulous over-all arrangements will leave us uncertain as to the demands which will be made on us to replenish the Fund and contribute to relief.
_[1] Document 57.
[2] Cablegram 203, dispatched 11 November 1948, reported on the progress of the draft resolution summarised in note 1 to Document 57 and note 2 to Document 60.
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[AA : A1838, 191/2/2, I]