INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS PANEL WEEKLY SUMMARY NO. 10 FOR WEEK ENDING 20 JULY 1948

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78-01617A004900010011-5
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 27, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 22, 2013
• Sequence Number: 11
• Publication Date: July 20, 1948
• Content Type: REPORT

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INTEB.NATIONAL 0RGANIZ.AT:M4%0afe-ilit1N0. /0
1:3
WEEKLY SUMMARY NO. ? CHANGE in Class.
ECLASSIFIED
For week ending 20 July 1948
Class. MAID TO: TS
DDA Memo, 4 Apr 77
Amth: DOA REG. 77/1763
Date: I PFR lan BY g 3
Palestine Truce a UN trium h. Acceptance by both parties of
the Security Council 15 July cease fire order was a convincing
demonstration of the potent effect of threatened UN sanctions in
keeping the peace. The SO resolution was the strongest in UN
history, invoking for the first time Chapter VII of the UN Charter,
which empowers use of economic and diplomatic sanctions and actual
military force against a recalcitrant party. However, the Arabs
bowed not so much to the UN as to the action of the UK in cutting
off arms Shipments and subsidies and the likelihood that the US
would lift its arms embargo against Israel if the Arabs refused to
comply. The acid test of UN ability to keep the peace will some
in a situation where the contending parties are not so dependent
on outside support as both Arabs and Jews and where as e result,
the threat of sanctions will not have such an immediate effect.
It it not clear whether the Arab states have fully accepted
the truce terms, since the Arab League attached three conditions
to acceptance: (a) that the truce have a definite time limit;
(b) that Jewish immigration cease during the truce period; and
(c) that 3000000 Palestine Arab refugees be allowed to return to
their homes. While these conditions may be a mere face-saving
device, they may also be an attempt to provide an excuse for
later Arab denunciation of the truce if these conditions are not
met. Since the Arabs would then face the threatened UN sanctions,
however, this seems unlikely. The SC probably will leave the
mediator to iron out these problems on the spot.
-
aznatiatit2Latzrilabl9Lits. UN Mediator Bernadotte's immediate
problem is to secure an adequate observer force to guard against
truce violations and a UN armed guard to police demilitarized
Jerusalem. The recently reported truce violations probably re-
present last minute Arab and Jewish attempts to improve their
positions before UN observers can arrive on the scene. Bernadotte's
ability to maintain the truce will depend largely on his ability
to catch all truce violations and to assess responsibility for them.
Since his former observer force of under 100 officers proved
inadequate to cover all areas, he has asked for a much larger one
of 300 officers. Effective demiliterisation of Jerusalem, too,
SE-6(T
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will depend upon the Mediator's ability to enforce withdrawal or
demobilization of the fighting forces and to police the city.
Bernadotte desires 250 UN armed guards immediately for this purpose
and eventually 1,000 to 1,500.
The Mediator's long-term problem is to devise a permanent
settlement acceptable to both parties. Although the GA partition
resolution of 29 November 1947 still stands, Bernadotte may seek
a somewhat different solution calling for some modification of the
GA-proposed boundaries. If no settlement is reached, however, by
the GA meeting in September, the.GA may well revise its awn
partition resolution along these lines and recommend it forcefully
to the contending parties. The Arabs in particular might be more
willing, as a face-saving device, to accept a UN-proposed solution
than any resulting from more or less direct negotiations with the
Jewish state.
o
Forced labor ma be major issue at ECOSOC Session. A request
by the World Federat on of Trade Unions that the Geneva session of
ECOSOC consider alleged attacks on "trade union rights" in Greece,
China, Chile and ten other corantries will probably be countered by
an AFL demand for an investigation of forced labor in Eastern
Europe. UK support for the AFL proposal has been suggested by a
high British Foreign Office cfficial who feels it is time the USSR
is "put on the defensive" on this issue. However, the UK's position
may be modified by the unwillingness of the British Trade Union
Congress to take any action at this time that might widen the
divisions within WFTU. Eventual return of the whole subject to
the ILO is expected, 'with a request that ILO provide all available
information and advise what steps might be taken by ILO and UN
to minimize existing forced labor.
USSR needles Administering Powers in Tru.2.12.92111p Council (n).
The Soy et Union, participating for tha first time in TO meetings,
has found it an excellent forum for propaganda on colonial issues.
The Soviet representative has closely questioned the reports of
the Administering Powers, Shown Insistent interest in native move-
ments,and made well-publicized demands for investigations of living
conditions among the trust populations. He repeatedly asked for
hearings from petitioners reporting unfavorably on educational and
social conditions in Tancanyika and British Cameroons. He tried
to have the UN Secretary General instructed to establish contact
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c
with native leaders active in colon al administration and in the
trade unions, When Iraq proposed that the Secretary General -
assist the TC in obtaining information on social problems in
underdeveloped areass the USSR attempted to substitute a resolu-
tion directing ECOSOC to prepare reports on living conditions in
these areas. Such reports would specifically recommend increases
in living standards and assurance to the trust populations of
rights equal to those enjoyed in metropolitan areas, While the
Soviet representative has had few proposals adopted by the PC
as yets he has demonstrated an undoubted flair for the role of
champion of the worlds oppressed peoples.
USSR threatens to scuttle Euro ean Broadcastin Conference,
Soviet injection of political issues nto the Copenhagen Broad-
casting Conference, now in its fourth week, has aggravated basic
disagreements already dividing the participating nations and
decreased the likelihood that they will agree on a plan for al-
locating European broadcasting frequenciee. Draft plans for
assignment of frequencies to all Europe, including Germanys have
encountered rough sledding because of sharply competitive bidding
among the Western European powers for German frequencies, The US
has been particularly concerned because of their reluctance to
give adequate recognition to the broadcasting needs of the US
Zone, The Soviet delegations taking advantage of the rule requir-
Aug unanimous approval for any allocation plans has now served
notice that the refusal of the conferees to admit the Baltic
States, Karelia, Moldavia )and Israel will make future Soviet co-
operation difficult.
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