Middle East Chronology: June 1st To August 31st, 1948

Developments of the Quarter: Comment and Chronology June 1-August 31, 1948
Author(s): T. A. Votichenko
Source: Middle East Journal, Vol. 2, No. 4 (Oct., 1948), pp. 447-468
Published by: Middle East Institute
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4322013 .
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THE
OF
DEVELOPMENTS
COMMENT
QUARTER:
AND
CHRONOLOGY1
JUNE 1-AUGUST
THE FAILUREof the ArabLeagueto
forestall the creationof an independent
Jewish state in Palestine- a process which
either by accidentor intent rid Israel of the
majority of its large Arab population and
thus deprivedthe Arab states of their most
telling argument- was likely to react upon
the Arabworldin vital fashion.The immediate effect upon its foreign outlook was already apparent, the most obvious upshot
beinga shaken confidencein the aims of the
UnitedStates.A popularreactionagainstthe
governmentsof the Arab states themselves
was not so immediatelyevident. The Arab
League, however, lost some of the prestige
and initiative it had won during the spring
months, when the fight againstthe partition
of Palestinewas risingto its climax.A depreciation of the Arab League would logically
mean a set-back to middle-class,Westerneducated leadership in the Arab national
movement,and to the causeof an Arabunity
transcendingreligious groupings. If young
nationalists were turning in any direction,
it was toward such organizations as the
Ikhwan al-Muslimun (The Moslem Brethren) in Egypt, which preached national
regenerationthrough a purifiedpracticeof
Islam.
Big Power frictionstill centeredin Berlin,
yet Soviet and communist interest in the
31, 1948
Middle East was not entirely dormant. A

Soviet attempt in the Security Council to
have the USSR represented among the
United Nations truce observers sent to Palestine was blocked by the abstention of all
members except the Soviet Union and the
Ukraine. In Turkey, twenty individuals were
sentenced on July I4 to imprisonment for
communist activity; and in India, Prime
Minister Nehru's fear of the communists'
tactics figured in his haste to reach a settlement with Hyderabad. More direct Soviet
pressure was evident in Iran, with continued
expressions of sympathy for the " democratic" struggle of the Azerbaijanis and
Kurds, and particular castigation of the activities of the American gendarmerie and
military missions. A revision of the scope of
these missions, assigning to them a purely
advisory rather than an administrative
character, was under discussion by the U. S.
and Iranian governments.
Afghanistan
CHRONOLOGY
1948
Yune5: The U.S. Legationin Kabulwas elevated
to the status of an Embassy as AmbassadordesignateEly E. Palmer presentedhis letters
of credenceto the King.
1In general,items in the Chronologyarcdrawnfrom July 5: Abd al-MajidKhan, Ministerof Economthe New YorkTimesunlessotherwiseindicated.
ics, arrivedin New York.
447

448
THE MIDDLE EAST JOURNAL
Egypt
CHRONOLOGY
I948
June 4: A 4-hour sea battle between a 2,Soo-ton

transport ship, an LCT, and a small destroyer
all belonging to Egypt, and planes and a single
corvette-type warship belonging to Israel took
place off Tel Aviv. The Egyptian vessels retired
without landing troops.
The Foreign Affairs Committee of the Egyptian Senate rejected British proposals in regard
to the future administration of the Sudan.
7une_5: Cairo newspapers stated the Jews of Cairo
had donated ?E40,ooo as "a greeting to
Egypt and her army and as an expression of
loyalty to King Farouk."
June 8: The Egyptian Senate approved a ?E2i,000,ooo
credit to maintain the Egyptian Army.
S. Pinckney Tuck, former U.S. Ambassador

to Egypt, was appointed a member of the board
of the Suez Canal Company, the first American
to act in that capacity.
June 9: Husayn Tawfik Ahmad, murderer of
Egyptian Finance Minister Sir Amin Osman
Pasha, escaped from a doctor's office where he
had been taken for treatment.
7une I4: British Foreign Under-Secretary Christopher Mayhew announced in the House of
Commons that in view of the breakdown in
Anglo-Egyptian talks, Sir Robert Howe, British
Governor-General of Anglo-Egyptian Sudan,
would be free to proceed with a project granting the Sudanese a greater degree of self-government.
June 20: Egyptian officials blamed two severe
explosions in the Jewish quarter of Cairo,
killing 31 persons and injuring 43, on accidental detonations of stored fireworks.
June 25: Egyptian planes strafed a UN plane,
and Egyptians refused to allow an Israeli convoy to go through their lines to settlements in
the Negeb, thus violating the Palestine truce
on two counts. The UN withdrew all its representatives from Egyptian-held Palestine and
protested to the Egyptian Government.
7une 26: The Egyptian Government was accused by the Israeli Government of a truce
violation in attacking Kfar Darom settlement
below Gaza.
July 8: Stanton Griffis received a recess appointment as U.S. Ambassador to Egypt.
July 17: Two Frenchmen were killed in an antiforeign riot in Cairo which followed an unnecessary air alert. (London Times, July I7,
page 3.)
The British War Office announcedthe appointment of Major-GeneralL. 0. Lynne to

be GeneralOfficerCommanding,BritishTroops,
Egypt (January, I949). (London Times, July
I7, page 4.)
July I8: The British Governmentdisclosedthat
the British Ambassadorin Cairo had been instructed to seek the approvalof the Egyptian
Governmentfor furtherdevelopmentof central
Africa'swater power.
7uly 19: An ordinance,not acceded to by the
Egyptian Government,was publishedin London creating an executive council and elected
legislative assembly for the Sudan. The ordinance, a first step toward self-government,
would make all Sudanesemales not less than
25 years old and possessing tenancy or taxpaying qualificationseligible to vote. (Brookings Institution: Summaryof Developmentsin
MajorProblemsof UnitedStatesForeignPolicy,
May-JuneI948.)
A mob stoned Stephen Haas, a naturalized
U. S. Jew, to death while he was sight-seeing
near the Citadelin Cairo.An Egyptian couple
and nearby British family were injured, and
Haas'wife was roughlyhandledbut saved from
injury by an Egyptian fireman.
July 24i The murderer of Egyptian Finance

Minister Sir Amin Osman Pasha, Husayn
Tawfik Ahmad, was sentencedin absentia to
I0 years in prison at hard labor; a rewardof
$20,000 had been posted for him since his escape June 9.
July 28: The second departmentstore explosion
in I0 days was reportedin Cairo.
Aug. i: The Egyptian Government rejected
Israel'ssuggestionfor directpeacenegotiations
on the Palestinesituation.
Jug. 23: The World Jewish Congressprotested
against the UN Economicand Social Council
decision to postpone considerationof acts of
persecutionagainstJews in the Arabcountries,
particularlyEgypt. The Congressstated iSo
Jews were murderedand hundredswounded
in Cairo during June and July; 8oo to I,ooo
Jews, it reported,had been arrestedsince midMay.
Jug. 29: MuhammadHaydar Pasha, Egyptian
Defense Minister,conveyedto the UN Mediator's Chiefof Staff his government'sagreement
to the proposed arrangementsfor a neutral
zone surroundingthe Red Cross enclave in
Jerusalemon conditionthat Israeliforceswithdrawsimultaneouslywith the Arab.
The Egyptian Government admitted that
Egyptian machine gun fire had killed two
FrenchUN observersAugust 28 over Gaza.

DEVELOPMENTS OF THE QUARTER
India and Pakistan

The twin problems of Kashmir and
Hyderabad continued to dominate India's
foreignrelations.The path to an agreement
on Kashmirwas not made smootherby increasedevidence of the active participation
of regularPakistani troops in the desultory
fighting, nor by India's qualified reception
of the UN Commission,which arrived in
New Delhi on July i2. Already irritated by
the SecurityCouncil'sretentionof the Pakistani accusationof genocidein its instructions
to the Commission,Indianleaderswerelittle
disposedto permitthe holdingof a plebiscite
in Kashmirunder the auspicesof the UN.
The only progressmade towarda settlement
was the August I4 proposalof the UN Commission for a truce pendinginvestigationof
the outstanding problems in PakistaniIndianrelations.Whenthe Commissionindicated that its first concernwas to establish
the facts ratherthan to forcea solution,this
preliminary proposal was sympathetically
received by both sides but no final decision
was reached.
In contrast to the dispute over Kashmir,
which tended to mark time, the differences
between India and Hyderabadwere pushed
by New Delhi toward what appearedto be
an imminent showdown. India based its
attack on juridicalgrounds,primarilyon alleged violations of the StandstillAgreement
of November29,
I947,
whichwasto runfor
449
remain completely independent if it so

desired.
It became increasinglyclear during the
summer,however, that political expediency
took precedence over juridical considerations. There was little doubt that the Nizam
had come increasinglyunder the domination of a fanatical Muslim group, and that
the large Hindu population of Hyderabad
could expect little if any actual representation in the government. The increasing power of communismin the Telengana
district of Hyderabad as well as in the
neighboringdistricts of the Madras Presidency, and the danger it spelled to Indian
nationalism, was also a factor in Prime
Minister Nehru's thinking. Although referring to communism as an "excellent
gospel" in his Madras address of July 26,
Nehru castigated the methods that communists used to propagate their doctrine.
To these fearsof a hostile and even subversive state in the heartof India'sterritorywas
to be addedPrimeMinisterNehru'spersonal
antipathy to the Nizam's system of government, a factor which could play a deciding role in shaping the tactics India
wouldemploy.
Hyderabad,in self-defenseagainst India's
belligerent approach, appealed to the Security Councilon August 24. India, in accordance with its stand that Hyderabad
enjoyed only limited sovereignty, was preparedto arguethat the United Nations had
no jurisdictionover what it regardedas a
domesticproblem.
a period of one year. The publicizedcomplaints included the January I948 loan of
$6o,ooo,oooto Pakistan and the refusal of
CHRONOLOGY
the Nizam to recognizethe paramountcyof
India as successor to Great Britain. Both 1948
stemmed from a fundamentaldisagreement 7uneI: An IndianDelegationheadedby Finance
as to the nature of Hyderabad'sindependChettyarrived
MinisterS. R. K. Shanmukam
talkson
in LondonforUnitedKingdom-Indian
ence followingthe partitionof India in Austerlingbalances.(India Today,July I948).
gust I947. The Governmentof India based
Service
to an IndianInformation
According
its interpretationof limited sovereignty on
of Scienbulletin,Indiaset up a Department
the statementsof the departingviceroy,Lord
tific Researchunder the Prime Ministerto
Mountbatten,urging the Princely States to
take over the workof the Boardof Atomic
seek inclusionwithin either India or PakisResearchand the Councilof Scientificand
tan, dependingupon their geographicalloIndustrialResearch.
cation; there was, however,no written com- 7une 2: J. KlahrHuddlewas namedthe U. S.
mitment in the partition instrument that
on theSecurityCouncil'sKashRepresentative
such a state as Hyderabadcould not elect to
mir Commission.

450
cededto the requestby the IndianHigh ComYune3: The Security Councilvoted 8-o (China,
the USSR, and Ukraine abstaining) to emmissionerin London for 5o,ooo tons of grain
power the UN KashmirCommissionto study
fromRussia.
and reporton the otherdisputesbetweenPaki- 7une 12: The Vatican announcedestablishment
stan and India as well as to supervise the
of diplomaticrelationswith India.
plebiscite for Kashmir. These would include
The Third Session of the UN Economic
Commissionfor Asia and the Far East heldits
claims to Junagadh and Pakistan's charges
finalmeetingat Ootacamund,India.Duringthe
against India of genocide and violation of
financialand propertyagreements.
session, delegates discussed reduction of rice
June 5: The Indian Governmentinstructedits
prices,approvedresolutionsof the Trade Prorepresentativeat the UN to sign the Geneva
motion Committee, recommendeda meeting
of inland transportexperts for the purposeof
agreement on reciprocal tariff concessions.
India would receive tariff concessionson such
rebuilding the Far East transport system,
items as cotton goods, mica,jute, cashewnuts,
heard the Secretariat'sreport on economic
conditions and problemsin East Asia, asked
carpets, spices, tea, tobacco, and shellac, and
would grant them on milk products, canned
the Secretariatto begin a study of important
food, certain machinery and household apcommoditieslike silk, jute, and oilseeds, and
heard the U. S. state that "it is unthinkable
pliances, raw wool, fertilizers, and specified
that creditsandloanswouldnot be forthcoming
chemicalsand coal tar dyes.
Prime MinisterPandit JawaharlalNehru, in
from the West for expandingeconomy in the
a letter to the Security Council, protested
East, but conditions must be favorable for
against the additionalpowersgiven the Kashsound loans, as they must be used for direct
investments in enterprises."(Press Releases,
mir Commissionon June 3. He also stated the
Indian Governmentwould not aid the ComUnited Nations, EC/Soi, 502, So6, 507, SII,
missionin settling the Kashmirdispute "until
Si2, and517, June3-IO.)
objectionsraised by the Governmentof India 7une I3: Karachi'sDistrict Magistrate banned
for one week all processions,assembliesof S or
have been satisfactorilymet."
June 6: A Japanese(SCAP)tradedelegationconmore persons, and the carrying,storage, and
cluded trade talks with Pakistan. The latter
collection of weapons. The reason given was
tensionamongthe populaceas a resultof sepawould receive cotton yarn and cloth from
rationof KarachifromSind Province.
Japan in return for 20,000 bales of cotton.
June 8: Mohanlal Saxena was appointed MinEric Colbanwas appointedhead of the UN
ister of State in chargeof India's Ministryof
Secretariatof the KashmirCommission.
Relief and Rehabilitation.
7une 15: Dr. Syud Hossein, first Minister of
India's first overseas air service under the
India to Transjordan,presentedhis credentials
Air India International,
to King Abdallah.
government-sponsored
Ltd. beganregularflights.
Sheikh Abdullah's Ministry reduced the
The Security Council rejected Prime Minprivy purse of the Kashmirruler by go%, cut
ister Nehru's implied request for an amendthe salaries of its own members to $300 a
ment of the Kashmirresolution.
month, abolishedlandlordism,set aside $300,7une 9: Talks in New Delhi betweenrepresenta- ooo for industrialco-operatives,and declared
tives of India and Hyderabadended with the
a year'smoratoriumon the debts of cultivators
presentationof an Indian ultimatumdemandandartisans.(India Today,July I948.)
ing full control over Hyderabad'sdefense, exThe KashmirCommissionof the UN Security
ternal affairs,and communications;overriding
Councilheld its first meetingin Geneva.
power to enforce dominionlegislation;and a
The Indian InformationServicesstated the
fully responsiblegovernmentwith an absolute
French and Indian Governmentssigned an
Hindu majority until the plebiscite was held
agreementto release assets frozen during the
regarding accession to India. V. P. Menon,
war and belongingto each other'snationals.
Secretary of the Indian States Ministry and
Khan Abd al-GhaffarKhan was arrested
Indian Representative, revealed that India
near the BahadarKhel salt mines in Pakistan,
had also asked that armieslike the Razakars
tried and sentenced to 3 years imprisonment.
be disbanded, and had announcedorders to
He was accusedof plotting to destroyPakistan
Indian police and troops to pursue raiders
in conspiracy with the Fakir of Ipi. (India
from Hyderabadinto Hyderabadterritory if
Today, July 1948.)
necessary.
7une I6: M. Asaf Ali was appointedGovernorof
June IO: It was learnedthat the USSR had acOrissaProvince.


June 17: Prime MinisterNehru announcedthat
45I
Services.In regardto newly-electedmunicipal

assemblies,the French letter said: "The date
of the consultationwill be fixed for Chandernagore by the municipal assembly of a free
town;for the fourotherestablishmentsby their
municipal councils grouped in one single assembly.To this end these municipalassemblies
will be entirelyrenewedand new electionswill
be held at dates to be fixedas soon as possible."
The Indian letter expressedsatisfaction with
the principlesof the Declarationmade in the
FrenchNationalAssemblyJune 8, I948; agreed
that the future of the French possessions
should be determinedas soon as possible acbroadcasthis fare- cording to the freely expressed will of the
7une20: LordMountbatten
well speech as Governor-General
of India, majority of the inhabitants;and agreed with
thankingIndiansfor theirkindnessesto him,
Francein regardto the functionsof the newly
urgingthemto beworthyof theirfreedom,
and
electedmunicipalassemblies.
predictinga greatfutureforIndia.
7une 30: Pakistan signed the Protocol of ProviJune 21: ChakravartyRajagopalachari
was
sional Applicationof the Geneva Agreement
swornin as Governor-General
of India.
on Tariffsand Trade.
Dr. HenryF. Gradyleft New Delhiandhis 7uly i: The State Bank of Pakistan commenced
post as U. S. Ambassador
to Indiato return operations.
to Washington
forreassignment
asAmbassador7uly 2: The Indian Governmentcanceledflights
to Greece.
into India by the Hyderabadairline, Deccan
DigambarBadge,Hinduasceticaccusedin
Airways, claiming it would make it easier to
the case of Gandhi'sassassination,turned detect planes said to be running guns from
state'sevidenceandwaspardoned.
Pakistanto Hyderabad.
7une 23: India and Pakistanannouncedtheir 7uly 4: BrigadierM. Usman,Moslemcommander
decisionto enteran agreementprovidingfor
of Indian troops in Kashmir, was killed in
the unrestricted
transferof fundsbetweenthe
action.
two dominions.
7uly 5: TamizuddinAhmad, Deputy President
of the IndianandPakistan of the Pakistani Constituent Assembly, apRepresentatives
governmentssigneda bilateralair transport pealedfor funds to obtain armsand equipment
agreemententitlingIndia to operateon io
for a forceof "Pakistanicrusaders"who "will
specified
routesandPakistanto operateon9.
soon be sent to the Palestinefront to fight the
June 27: The Indianarmyformeda separate Zionistaggressors."
command
at Sholapur,
onHyderabad's
On the Chakothifront in the mountainsof
western
frontier,andthe army'sonlyarmoredbrigade Kashmir,Indiantroopsmet with stiffresistance
movedup fromPoona.
from three battalionsof Pakistanitroops with
The ReserveBankof Indiashutoffsupplies 25-pounderfield guns, 4.2-inch mortars,light
of Indiancurrencyto Hyderabad.
anti-aircraftguns, and mountainartillery.
June 28: QaziAtaullahKhanandAmirMohamThe PakistanGovernmentreceived$io,OOO,med Khan,formerRevenueMinisterin the
ooo credit from the U. S. for the purchaseof
CongressPartyGovernment
of Peshawarand
surplus farm machinery,medical supplies, inPresidentof theNorth-West
FrontierProvince dustrialplants and equipment,and other items
CongressCommitteerespectively,were arnecessaryfor reliefwork.
restedat Peshawar,
Pakistan.
Hindu-Moslemrioting in Bombay, starting
June 29: Unionsin Indiaand Pakistanformed over a complaint that a pickpocket was at
with Burma,China,the Philippines,and Inwork in a street car, ended in the death of 35
donesiaan AsianFederationof Labor,Asian persons,injuriesto 95, and the arrestof 49.
delegatesto the International
LaborOrganiza- _7uly6: The Governmentof India issueda White
tionConference
in SanFrancisco
announced.
Paper on the Dominion's policy toward the
In an exchangeof letters,the Frenchand
Indian States (excludingJunagadh, Kashmir,
Indiangovernments
in
cameto an agreement
andHyderabad)
sinceJuly 5, I947.
regardto Frenchpossessions
in India,accordM. Ali Tiirkgeldipresentedhis credentialsas
ing to a reportof the Indian Information TurkishAmbassadorto India.
the Nizam of Hyderabad had rejected the

draft agreementbetween his state and India,
but that India would not alter its terms. He
was quoted as saying that an economicblockade of Hyderabadwas in effcct,but the Indian
Governmentwould try to avoid majorconflict
in futureaction.
7une I8: The Indian InformationServices announcedthe Indian Government'sdecision to
appointSir BenegalRama Rau as IndianAmbassadorto the U. S., and B. N. Chakravarty
as headof the IndianLiaisonMissionto Tokyo
with the rank of Minister.

452
A Czechoslovakiantechnicalmissionarrived
in Karachito discussindustrialand commercial
matters with the Government of Pakistan.
(Pakistan Affairs, July 20.)
Yuly 7: The Government of India and the Imperial Ethiopian Government decided to establish diplomatic relations at legation level.
Prime Minister Nehru officially opened the
new Pathankot-Jammu road between India
and Kashmir.
7uly 8: The 5-member UN Kashmir Commission
arrived in Karachi.
Indian tariff concessions under the Geneva
reciprocal trade agreements went into effect.
Paul H. Alling, U. S. Ambassador to Pakistan, arrived in the U. S.
By ordinance, the North-West Frontier
Provincial Government assumed extraordinary
powers to deal with persons and organizations
suspected of subversive activities.
YU1y 12: Members of the UN Kashrnir Commission paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister
Nehru in New Delhi.
The Indian Government announced that
2,000 Moslem raiders attacked their positions
at Uri and Poonch in Kashmir.
7u/y I4: President Truman appointed Loy W.
Henderson, Director of the Office of Near
Eastern and African Affairs in the Department
of State, as Ambassador to India and Minister
to Nepal.
The Government of India announced an
agreement with the USSR by which India
would receive wheat in exchange for tea.
Police in Dacca, Eastern Bengal, Pakistan,
went on strike for payment of their June
wages, additional rations, improved housing,
and fewer duties during the month of Ramadan.
fuly i5: Sir Archibald E. Nye was appointed
British High Commissioner in India to succeed
Sir Terence A. Shone in November 1948. A.C.B.
Symon would act as High Commissioner from
August until that time.
Deputy Prime Minister Sardar Patel inaugurated the Union of Patiala and the East
Punjab States, consolidating 7 Sikh Princely
States on the Pakistan border into one unit
under the constitutional rule of the Maharaja
of Patiala.
Indian Finance Minister R. K. Shanmukham
Chetty announced conclusion of the IndoBritish sterling balance talks in London extending the August I947 agreement through the
period July i, 1948 -June
30, i95i. Under
the agreement: (i) India and Pakistan would
pay Great Britain ?ioo,ooo,ooo in full and
final settlement for all British-owned military
stores and installations in those dominions;

(2) Indiawouldpay GreatBritain?147,500,000
and also purchasefrom it a taperingannuity
commencingwith a payment of ?6,300,000 the
first year and graduallydiminishingto nothing
in 6o years- this to meet pensionobligations
to British personnel;(3) the total sterlingbalance for a three-yearperiod would be ?i6o,ooo,ooo: Britian would release ?8o,000,ooo in
the second and third years and India would
carry over a balance of ?8o,000,ooo unspent
from previous releases; (4) Britain agreed to
make ?i 5,ooo,ooo available in 1948-9 for
conversioninto any currency;(5) Britain also
agreedto pay India and Pakistan?55,ooo,ooo
in final settlement of its liabilities under the
Indian Defense Expenditure Plan. (International Financial News Survey, July 22, page i.)
Yuly 17: India requested the Secretary-General
of the UN to put its complaint against South
Africa's discrimination against Indian residents
back on the General Assembly agenda for September 1948.
July I8: The Indian Government announced
that until further notice Moslems returning
to India from Pakistan would be required to
secure entry permits from the Indian High
Commissioner at Karachi or the Officer on
Special Duty at Lahore.
July I9: The Inter-University Board of Pakistan
decided to abandon English as a medium of
instruction in Pakistan universities, and to
substitute Urdu.
July 20: The Indian Government claimed its
forces had made "steady progress" on the
Kashmir front against 25-pounders and mortars, and stated that southwest of Tithwal they
had cleared well-constructed bunkers of the
Pakistan Frontier Force Regiment.
July 22: The UN Kashmir Commission approved
a proposal to send an advance party consisting
of Major Francis M. Smith of the U. S., Harry
Graeffe, Jr. of Belgium, and Richard Symonds
of the Commission Secretariat to Kashnair to
survey the military situation, providing India
agreed.
The Indians reported heavy firing from the
opposition northwest of Gurais, on the Chakothi-Uri front, west of Jhangar, south of
Naushahra, and in the Manawwar region.
Hyderabad repudiated India's claim of
jurisdiction over its airports and to aerial
rights over its territory. Shankerran Deo,
General Secretary of the Congress Party in
India, stated in a speech at Nagpur that war
was the only solution to the Hyderabad problem.

453
A BritishWhitePaperrevealedthat Pakistan
Jodphur on account of a dispute concerning
payment.
had agreedin recent sterling balance talks to
limit expenditurein hard currency areas so Aug. 4: The Indian Government stated that
thoughabout300 Britonswerewith the Indian
that net drawingson the centralreservesfrom
Army,noneweredirectlyconcernedin Kashmir
July I, 1948 to June 30, 1949 wouldnot exceed
operations.
the equivalentof ?5,ooo,ooo.
7uly 25: Prime Minister Nehru of India stated Jug. 5: The British Governmentconfirmedthat
no Britishofficerswereservingin Kashmirand
before 500,000 people in Madras that Hyderabad must accede to the dominionor face milistated it was not consideringwithdrawal of
Britishofficersfromthe two dominions'armies.
tary operations and extinction as a separate
Sir Benegal Rama Rau, new Indian Amstate.
bassadorto the U. S., presentedhis credentials
7uly 28: India and Pakistansigned a food agreeto PresidentTruman.
ment in New Delhi which would cut transport
Mir Laik Ali, Prime Ministerof Hyderabad,
costs for rice and wheat and would release
resigned after the Nizam had by-passed the
2,o0o tons of vegetable oil to Pakistan. (Governmentof India InformationServices[GIIS],
Hyderabad Council of Ministers and used
Sir Mirza Ismail, former Prime Minister, as
Aug. 3.)
his channelin negotiationswith India.
7uly 29: The HyderabadGovernmentprotested
Indian Army troops were reportedto be in
to the Indian Governmentagainst an Indian
possessionof the village of Yelsangi near the
troopraid,supportedby tanks, at Tandulwadi,
and the occupationby two Indiancompaniesof
borderin Hyderabad.
Nanj, where Indian troops marching across Aug. 7: Mir Laik Ali withdrewhis resignation
at the insistenceof the Nizam.
Hyderabadinto Barsi Enclave had been amThe UN Kashmir Commissionannounced
bushed;the HyderabadGovernmentdemanded
the immediate withdrawal of Indian forces
completion of a draft cease-fireproposal for
Kashmir,and asked the Secretary-Generalof
fromthe area.
Two hundredcases of choleraand IS deaths
the UN for English-speakingmilitaryobservers
to be on the scene after the cease-firebegan.
werereportedin the city of Hyderabad.
a
in
heated
the
debate
British
Aug.
30:
During
9: Prime MinisterNehru of India, speaking
Yuly
House of Commons between Prime Minister
at a publicmeetingin New Delhi, said Hyderabadwouldhave equalpartnershipin the union
Attlee and WinstonChurchill,the Prime Minif it agreedto Indian accession.
ister madeit clearthat the BritishGovernment
M. A. H. Ispahani, Pakistan's Ambassador
would refrain from bringingpressureto bear
against either side in the Hyderabad-India to the U. S., arrivedin Washington.
dispute.
Aug. so: India summarizedits case for the acThe Bombay Governmentimposed restriccession of Hyderabadand gave the history of
tions on the movement of petroleum and
Indian-Hyderabad relations in a 76-page
White Paper submitted to the Indian Parliapetroleumproducts,oils, food stuffs,drugsand
ment.
medicalstores, iron and steel to Hyderabad.
Premier Dr. Jivraj Mehta and the Dhara
7uly 3I: The UN KashmirCommissionleft for
Karachi to confer with Pakistani officials;
Sabha (Legislature) of Baroda charged the
Gaekwar of Baroda with misusing approximeanwhile,alternate delegates Major Francis
Smith of the U. S. and Ernest Graeffe of
mately $I0,000,ooo duringa six-weekvacation
Belgiumvisited the fightingfronts in Kashmir
during the springof I948. They asked for the
with Indian army commanders.
Gaekwar'sabdication and a regency council
to be institutedby the Dominionof India.
Aug. I: The Raja of Sandur charged that his
administrationhad been taken over by the Aug. -I: The Gaekwarof Barodastated in LonIndian Governmentwithout his permission.
don that he would return to India to face
Aug. 2: The Civil and MilitaryGazetteof Lahore
chargesthat he had financeda personalspending spree with money from his state treasury.
reported that the Pakistan Governmenthad
He deniedthe charges.
officiallyadmitted to the UN KashmirCommissionparticipationof Pakistanitroopsin the Aug. 12: India and Portugal announcedin New
Delhi their intentionof exchangingdiplomatic
fightingin Kashmir.
The Indian and PakistanGovernmentswere
representativesat legation level. (GIIS, Aug.
deadlockedin a controversyover the Pakistani
20.)
seizureof the railroadinto Jodhpur.Pakistan Jug. z3: The Indian Governmentappointedthe
Maharajah of Bhavnagar as Governor of
claimedto have taken the actionwhichisolated

454
Madras, to succeedLieut. Gen. Sir Archibald

Nye.
Aug. I4: India signed a treaty of friendshipand
establishment with Switzerland establishing
perpetual peace between the two states and
arranging for exchange of diplomatic and
consularagents and most favorednationprivileges in regardto trade. (GIIS, Aug. 20.)
The UN Kashmir Commissionproposed a
cease-fireagreementbetween India and Pakistan in Kashmir,to be followedby consultation
with the Commission"to determinefair and
equitable conditionswhereby the free expression of the will of the people will be assured
in the state."
Aug. 15: Both the Indian and Pakistan governments officially celebrated their first anniversary of independencewith parades and
publicmeetings.
Aug. I6: R. K. ShanmukhamChetty submitted
his rosignation as Indian Finance Minister.
(LondonTimes,August I7, page 3.)
K. C. Neogy took over the portfolioof Finance Minister in the Indian Government
temporarily.(London Times,August I8, page
3.)
Aug. I8: The first Maharaniof Barodaappealed
to high Indian officials to discuss charges
against the Gaekwarwith him personally;she
termedthe legislature'srequestfor his abdication "hasty and uncalledfor."
An Indian communique announced antiGovernment forces had seized Skardu, U
miles northeastof Srinagarin Kashmir.
Two U. S. destroyersand a heavy cruiser
arrived in Karachion a goodwill tour.
Aug. I9: Hyderabad announcedit would take
its dispute with India to the UN. The Premier
of Hyderabadstated India's violation of the
stand-still agreement,its economic blockade,
and its borderraids and occupationof Sendri
railroadstation and Yelasangicreateda grave
situation which was an imminent threat to
peace.The IndianGovernment'sview was that
the issue was domestic and not within the
purviewof the UN.
Jug. 20: Prime MinisterNehru informedParliament that India had formally protested to
Pakistan the latter's use of regular troops
against Indian forcesin Jammu and Kashmir.
(GIIS, Aug. 25.)
22: Ninety membersof the South Indian
AUg.
DravidianFederation,an organizationin favor
of political separation for south India, were
arrestedin Madras.
Severe floodsdestroyedI26 villages and left
about200,000 peoplehomelessin SindProvince,
accordingto the officialstatement of Revenue

MinisterGhualmaliTalfur.
Raiderswere reportedby the KashmirGovernment to have killed the Lama of Ganskar
Padam Monastery and a number of other
Buddhistsliving in the LadakhValley.
Aug. 24: ZahirAhmad,Secretaryto the Government of the Nizam of Hyderabad,deposited
with the UN his government'sprotest against
India.
The UN Kashmir Commissionasked UN
Secretary-GeneralTrygve Lie to take immediatesteps to appoint20 military observers
to superviseany cease-fireorder agreedto by
India and Pakistan.
The three U. S. navy vessels stopped at
Bombayon their goodwilltour.
Aug. 26: Indian Deputy Prime Minister Sardar
Patel stated inquirieshad satisfied India that
"no foreign country is involved in supplying
armsor ammunitionto Hyderabad."
Aug. 28: In a letter to the Premierof Hyderabad,
IndianStates' SecretaryV. P. Menondisputed
Hyderabad'sright to seek UN interventionin
the accession question, accused the state of
victimizing its own non-Moslem inhabitants
and conducting border raids, and stated the
Razakarsdominated the HyderabadGovernment.
Aug. 29: A proclamationpublishedin the Gazette
Extraordinaryannounced that the Gaekwar
of Barodahad grantedfull responsiblegovernment to his people and that an Assembly
would be elected to frame a new constitution.
As a resultof conversationswith Deputy Prime
MinisterSardarPatel, the Gaekwaragreedto
repay amountsloanedand paid off to him from
state funds. He would retain his throneunder
the agreement.
Iran
CHRONOLOGY
.948
fune 8: Prime Minister Ibrahim Hakimi failed
to win a vote of confidencefrom the Majlis
(Parliament).
,funeI3: AbdulHosaynHazhirwas electedPrime
Minister at a secret meeting of the Majlis.
The new Cabinetwas as follows:
Gen. AmirAhmadi- War
Khalil Fahimi- Interior
AmanullahArdalan- Finance
Musa Nuri Isfandiari- ForeignAffairs
Nadir Arasteh- Posts and Telegraph
Dr. ManuchehrIqbal- Education

455
7uly I4: The Chamberof Deputies adopted an

amendmentto the penal code making Zionist
activity a crime punishableby death or life
imprisonment.
7uly ig: The BritishTreasuryand ForeignOffice
announced an exchange of notes with Iraq
regardingthe extensionof the Supplementary
Financial Agreement signed in Nov. I947.
(LondonTimes,July i9, page 3.)
7uly 27: Dr. Nadim al-Pachachi,Director-General of Economics,stated that Iraq would resume pumpingoil to Haifa only if the refinery
was placedunderinternationalcontrol.
Aug. i6: Ali Mumtaz, Ministerof Finance, announcedthat 38% of Iraq's budget would be
for armedforces,the largestin its history.
Aug. 18: The British ForeignOfficedenied that
Brig.Gen.
Britainand Iraq had made a secret agreement
7une20: Col.JamesR. Piercereplaced
as chiefof theU. S. gendarmerie on Palestine, as alleged by General Nuri alSchwartzkopf
mission.
Sa'id in a pamphletcirculatedin Baghdad.
of theShiraz AUg. 21: Regent Abd al-Ilah and Prime Minister
7une30: AkbarAgar,representative
Manufacturing
Co.,Ltd.of Shiraz,announced Muzahim al-Pachachi conferredin Amman,
the purchaseof $750,000 worthof machinery Transjordan,with Transjordanianofficials.
Dr. AbbasAdham- Health
Nazem Mafi- Justice
Dr. FakhreddinShadman- National
Economy
MansurAdl - Ministerwithout Portfolio
Jamal Imami- Minister without Portfolio
(Ministriesof Roads and Agricultureto
be filledlater.)
rune 27: Several people were injuredwhen the
police fired on a demonstrationagainst the
new PrimeMinister,AbdulHosayn Hazhir.
7une r8: The U. S. Departmentof Commerceannouncedthat exportlicensesfor i i,65o tons of
oil-line pipe had been granted to the AngloIranian Oil Company to construct a pipeline
in Iran.
to beusedin a textilemillto be builtat Shiraz.

RezaPahlaviarrived
7uly 20: ShahMohammad
in London.
3'uly29: The U. S. Departmentof State announced the extension of $so,00ooo,
Israel
credit
(See Palestine)
forthe purchase
of
to the IranianGovernment
surplusmilitaryequipment,and of not more
than $i6,0oo,ooo to cover repairand shipping
costs. The termsprovidedfor 2H'% interest

overa i2-yearperiod.
rateandrepayment
Italian Colonies
CHRONOLOGY
I'94t
Iraq
7Uly 21: Reportsof the FourPowerinvestigating
commissionon Eritrea and Italian Somaliland

were made available. In general, the French
and Soviet representativesfound evidence to
support their view that Eritrea and Italian
Somalilandbe given to Italy undera UN trusteeship,while Britishand U. S. representatives
found strong oppositionto a return to Italian
rule.
CHRONOLOGY
7948
7une26:A newcabinetwasformed,as follows:
Muzahimal-Pachachi
-Prime Minister,
ForeignAffairs(acting)
- Interior
Mustafaal-Umari
- Defense
commisSadiqal-Bassam
7uly 27: The FourPowerinvestigating
sion's reporton Libya was made available.
HasanKubbah- Justice
Muhammad
Jalal Baban- Communications,
Public It revealedthat the French,British,andU. S.
agreedthat the Libyansdid
representatives
Works,SocialAffairs(acting)
not want the Italiansback as trusteesor in
Ali Mumtaz- Finance,Supply(acting)
any othercapacity.The Sovietrepresentative
Najibal-Rawi- Education
Abdal-Wahab
impliedthe Libyanswouldbe satisfiedwith
Mirjan-Economics
their
July 7: KingAbdallah
visitedBaghdad.(London the Italians,althoughhe alsoemphasized
desireforunity.
Times,July 2, page4.)
July ii: The Iraqi Cabinetvoted to join the 7uly 30: The DeputyForeignMinistersbegan
UN Educational,
hearingsof EthiopianandItalianviewson the
Scientific,and CulturalOrganization,subjectto the approvalof Parlia- questionof the Italiancolonies.
ment.
Aug.9: The DeputyForeignMinisters,meeting

456
THE MIDDLE
in London, agreed to make separate recommendations for each of the former Italian
colonies but to write a unified report. It was
learned that ten minor powers had expressed
the view that Italy should receive the trusteeship of one or more of her former colonies.
The nine other countries concerned in the
Italian Peace Treaty suggested a trusteeship
under Britain, or complete self-determination
or independence.
Aug. i8: Thomas E. Dewey, Republican candidate for the U. S. presidency, told a delegation
of Italian-Americans that he favored giving
Italy administrative control of its former
colonies under a UN trusteeship.
Kuwait
(For comment on the developmentsof the
quarter,see Oil, page 457.)
CHRONOLOGY
1948
July 6: The American Independent Oil Co. announced an agreement with Sheikh Ahmad
Ibn Jabir al-Subah, ruler of Kuwait, providing
for full oil rights in his 50% share in the
Kuwaiti-Saudi Arabian Neutral Zone. The concession was reported to be for So years at a dead
rent per annum of $6oo,ooo; the ruler of Kuwait
to be a minority partner; royalty to be $2.So
per ton. (OilForum, Aug. 1948, page 3I4.)
Aug. 3: Izzat Ja'afar, personal aide to Sheikh
Ahmad al-Jabir al-Subah, ruler of Kuwait,
arrived in New York.
Lebanon
CHRONOLOGY
1948
June 1O: It was reported that the Lebanese
Government had authorized the seizure of all
Israeli-bound ships touching at Beirut.
June 29: Lebanon signed the Protocol of Provisional Application, to become, after a lapse of
30 days, a contracting party to the General
Agreement on Tariffs and Trade of October
I 947. (Foreign CommerceWeekly,July 24, p. 48.)
July r: A new economic agreement between Syria
and Lebanon came into force providing for the
continuation of the economic, though not the
financial, unity of the two for a three-year
period. Syria renounced its previous opposition
to the French-Lebanese convention.
The Trans-Arabian Pipeline Co. (TAPline)
reduced its American staff in Beirut to three
EAST JOURNAL
men as a resultof the cancellationby the U. S.

Department of Commerceof the company's
exportpermitregardingsteel pipe.
7uly 13: U. S. citizens seized from the American
ExportlinerMarineCarpin May by Lebanese
authorities arrived in New York after six
weeks'detentionin Lebanon.
Generalissimo Francisco Franco received
Lebanon'sOrderof Merit, the only non-Arab
chief of state to receive the decoration.
7uly 26: Prime Minister Riad al-Sulhreshuffled
his cabinet, as follows:
Riad al-Sulh- Prime Minister,Justice
Gabriel Murr-Deputy Prime Minister,
Interior
Hamid Franjiyah- ForeignAffairs,Education
Amir Majid Arslan- National Defense,
Agriculture
Philip Tacla -National Economy, Posts
and Telegraph
Ahmadal-As'ad-Public Works
Elias al-Khuri- Hygiene, Public Welfare
Husayn al-'Uwayni- Finance
North Africa
Native unrest and discontent at Western
domination mounted steadily notwithstanding the reforms which had lately gone into
effect in the French possessions. The growing
tension might be traced to the ineffectiveness
of the reforms themselves, to developments
in Palestine, and, so far as Libya was concerned, to the additional circumstance that
this country's fate was currently being
thrashed out in London at the Council of
Deputy Foreign Ministers.
The administrative reforms in Algeria,
Morocco, and Tunisia had apparently failed
so far to convince the Moslem Arabs of
French good faith. The Moslems appeared to
believe, rightly or wrongly, that once more,
as in the past, the reforms were mere fagades,
leaving French rule untouched. In Algeria,
Ferhat Abbas and Messali Hadj, leaders of
the two main Algerian nationalist parties, the
Union Democratique du Manifeste Algerien
and the Parti du Peuple Algerien respectively, continued in their demands that the
elections be annulled on grounds of fraudulence and intimidation at the polls. Other
aspects of the agitation included an uncon-

457
on July 6. With the exception of the still

problematicaldevelopmentof off-shoreresourcesin the PersianGulf, involvingtangled
questionsof sovereigntyas well as practical
difficultiesof extraction,the agreementcovered the last remainingarea of well-established oil deposits in the Middle East open
to foreign bidding. The sections of Saudi
Arabia,Egypt, Palestine,Syria,andLebanon
still not blanketed by foreign concessions
promisedlittle in the way of oil resources;
Yemen was still largelyunexplored;Turkey,
for reasons of both economic and political
policy, was unwilling for its newly discovered deposits to be exploited by foreign
concerns; and Iran, for similar political
reasons,was desirousat least of placing fuT. A. VOTICHENKO ture development in the hands of its own
Washington,D. C. government.
Numerous legal and jurisdictionalprobremainedbefore much progresscould
lems
CHRONOLOGY
be madetowardthe physicalextractionof oil
1948
June 7: Five Jews were killed and 30 other in the Kuwaiti-SaudiArabianNeutral Zone.
peoplewereinjuredin Moslemriotsin Oujda, This Zonehad beenset up by the Protocolof
Oqair, concludedin December I922, which
FrenchMorocco.
riotsin FrenchMoroccoled was conceivedby Sir Percy Cox, High ComJune 9: Additional
to the deathsof about40 persons.
missionerforIraq,as a meansof reducingthe
weretakenin French dangerof friction arisingfrom the ebb and
June iI: Securitymeasures
Moroccan
citiesaftera Moslemfanaticstabbed flow of tribal migration,and thus of deprivMohamedHajoui,Pashaof Oujda,whilehe ing Ibn Saud of cause for furtherexpansion
wasattendingprayersat the Mosqueof Oujda northward.As with a similar neutral zone
followingthe funeralof the Jewishvictimsof
set up at the same time between Iraq and
the June7 riots.
were Saudi Arabia, the boundaries were only
June 12: Jewishhomesandestablishments
riots sketchilydrawn,and with traditionalwaterset afireandJewsinjuredin anti-Jewish
in the old city of Tripoli,Libya.Troopsand ing places in mind rather than future compolice patrolledthe principalthoroughfaresplicationsarisingfromthe exploitationof oil.
anda curfewwasordered.
When the concession agreement was
June 13: ThreeJewsand4 Arabswerekilledin reached,both Kuwait and SaudiArabiastill
riotsbetweenJewsandArabsin Tripoli,Libya. held equal rights over an undividedhalf of
a stateof emergency. the Neutral Zone; there was no positive adTheGovernment
declared
to reFrenchtroopsarrivedat Casablanca
and the two parties
inforce the North Africangarrison;troops ministrationof the area;
agreementdefining
an
never
concluded
had
patrolledOujda.
more preciselytheir respectivejurisdictions.
An agreementof some sort would be a prerequisite to oil exploitation;American InOil
dependentwould likewisehave to work out
an agreement with the Arabian American
The conclusionof a concessionagreement Oil Company,which held a parallelconcesbetween the Sheikh of Kuwait and the sion over Ibn Saud'shalf interest.Terms of
American Independent Oil Company over American Independent's concession agreeKuwait's undivided half of the Kuwaiti- ment were not officially announced; the
Saudi ArabianNeutral Zone was announced unofficiallyreportedroyalty of $2.5o a ton
firmedreport that in July a secret meeting

took place betweenFrenchand Spanishmilitary officialsfor the purposeof co-ordinating
the two colonial armies in the event of
nationalistuprisings.
The general nationalisteffervescencewas
also expressed in Moslem solidarity and
sympathy for the Palestine Arabs. In Morocco,Jewish-Arabclashesweredeemedsufficientlyimportantfor the ColonialArmy to
send re-enforcementsfrom Algiers to Casablanca as well as planes to patrol the skies
above the disturbedareas; while in Tripoli,
Libya, the British Military Administration
declared a state of emergencyon June I3
because of repeated rioting between Jews
and Arabs.

458
be a minoritypartner;royalty to be $2.50 per

ran considerablyhigher than the royalty of
ton. (Oil Forum,Aug. 1948, page 3 I4.)
approximately$i.6o a ton which was normal in previously established concessions. 7uly 27: Dr. Nadim al-Pachachi,Director-General of Economics, stated that Iraq would
Taken in conjunction with the June 25
resume pumping oil to Haifa only if the reagreement of the Arabian American Oil
finery was placed under internationalcontrol.
Company to compute its optional dollar
royalty to the Saudi Arabian Government
at $2.40, however, it was not out of line with
what might prove to be a trend toward
higher royalty payment. The agreement, if
correct, also reflected the increased competition for Middle East oil rights.
The entry of an independent American oil
company, representing ten domestic concerns, was a new departure in Middle East
oil development, hitherto completely in the
hands of companies with world-wide exploitation and marketing facilities and in more
than one case dominated by national interests. It might serve, therefore, on the one
hand to introduce an element of competition
into the oligopoly of Middle East oil, and
on the other hand to ease the opposition of
domestic companies in the United States to
American oil activity in the area.
CHRONOLOGY
1948
7une 21: The Iraq Petroleum Co. (IPC) announced plans to construct a pipeline from
Kirkukto a "suitableterminal"in the eastern
Mediterranean.
7une 24: The U. S. Navy announcedthe signing
of a contractwith Caltex Oil Products Co. of
California for delivery of 98,500,ooo barrels of
Persian Gulf oil over the next five years.

7une 25: Settling a long-standingdifferenceof
opinion between the Saudi Arabian Government and the ArabianAmericanOil Company
(Aramco),the latter agreedthat if it chose not
to pay its royalty of 4 gold shillingsper ton of
oil in gold sovereigns,and instead elected to
pay in dollars,it woulddo so by computingits
royalty at the rate of $I2 per gold pound.The
agreementwould hold so long as the official
priceof gold remainedat $35 an ounce.
7uly 6: The AmericanIndependentOil Co. announcedan greementwith SheikhAhmadIbn
Jabir al-Subah,rulerof Kuwait, providingfor
full oil rights in his So% sharein the KuwaitiSaudi ArabianNeutral Zone. The concession
was reportedto be for 50 years at a dead rent
per annumof $6oo,ooo;the rulerof Kuwaitto
Palestine
(Including Israel)
On June i the states of the Arab League
and the Provisional Government of Israel
accepted the Security Council's four-week
cease-fire proposal of May 29; the truce went
into effect on June ii under the supervision
of Count Folke Bernadotte, the Mediator
for the United Nations. Both the Israeli and
Arab protagonists willingly acquiesced in
the temporary cessation of hostilities to take
stock of the six weeks of fighting since Israel
declared its being on May iS. The United
Nations and the world at large had hopes
that the experience of warfare without the
restraining hand of a mandatory power
might have prepared both sides for conciliation. The four weeks passed, however, with
no concrete progress toward a peaceable solution. Both sides rejected the one plan put
forward by the Mediator, which though providing for a Jewish state, was rather more
favorable to the Arabs than the UN partition
recommendation of November 29, I947.
The expiration of the truce on July 8
brought a resumption of hostilities; the
Israelis took the offensive with considerable
success, capturing Lydda, Ramleh, and
Nazareth. The Mediator immediately set
about securing a renewal of the truce. Israeli
acceptance was at once forthcoming, but
Arab agreement was only grudgingly given
after the Security Council, on a motion introduced by the United States, threatened sanctions against any power continuing active
hostilities.
The Israelis were not disinclined because
the very passage of time worked to their advantage. The longer their state could maintain a de facto existence, the better chance
there was that it would become a fixture of
the scene and be accorded full de jure recognition. The truce gave them the opportunity,

459
moreover, of regrouping and training their on the Security Council to set a time limit
armed forces, and of proceeding with the task to the truce, after whichIsraelwouldbe free
of internal organization in preparation for to reach a settlement by force.The Security
the elections and creation of a constituent Councilrepliedon August I8 that only the
assembly scheduled to take place in the fall. Council had the power to discontinue the
Arab reluctance to accept a renewal of the truce and that it did not proposeto do so.
truce was to be explained by the same con- Israeli spokesmenarguedfurtherthat peace
sideration; final agreement by the extent of would return most quickly to Palestine
Israeli military success, by the unpalatable througha rapidand completeestablishment
threat of UN sanctions (which would stigma- of Israel, and to that end the embargoon
tize the Arab states as aggressors), and by arms shipments to Israel should be lifted;
British pressure expressed through the tem- Israel should be admitted to the United
porary withholding of the annual grant in Nations; and the United States shouldgrant
support of Transjordan's Arab Legion. On it without delay the proposed $ioo,ooo,ooo
the positive side, the states of the Arab loan.
League may also have felt that in the Mediator they had found a man who approached
the Palestine situation in a spirit of objecCHRONOLOGY
tivity and conciliation, and who in reporting 1948
to the United Nations would be prepared to 7une I: The seven-member
nationsof the Arab
criticize Israeli as well as Arab actions if the
Leagueand the ProvisionalGovernmentof
occasion warranted.
Israelannounced
theiracceptanceof the UN
SecurityCouncilrequestfor a 4-weekceaseIsrael's confidence in the security of its
fire in Palestine.(Text of Jewishreply:New
position became increasingly apparent as the
YorkTimesJune2, page3; Arabreply:June3,
summer wore on. On July 29 Foreign Minpage
6.)
ister Shertok declared that Israel no longer
Israeli
planesraidedAmman,Transjordan,
felt itself committed to the boundaries of the
andreportedly
attackedArabsin the NablusUN partition recommendation, but "must
Jenin-Tulkarm
triangle.Israelitroopsmoved
insist on changing them by adding territories
withina fewmilesof JeninandTulkarm,and
and not by diminishing them." He declared
thecaptureof BaytTimawasclaimed.
that his government would take steps to put
attemptedto landat
249Jewishimmigrants
Jerusalem under Israeli sovereignty, and
by the British.They
Haifa,butwereforbidden
disembarked
outsidethe harbor.
called for a "heavy indemnity" against the
Arabs. Shertok also refused to consider the 7une 2: The UN SecurityCouncildecidedto
regardboth sides' acceptanceof the 4-week
return of over 300,000 Arab refugees to their
WiththeUSSRand
ceasefireasunconditional.
homes in territory under Israeli control exit
Ukraine
CountFolke
instructed
abstaining,
cept as part of a general peace settlement
Bernadotte,
the UN Mediator,to consultwith
which would also deal with the status of
Arabs,Jews,and the SecurityCouncilTruce
Jewish minorities in Arab countries.
to set the time whenthe ceaseCommission
As the truce was prolonged, Israel began to
firewouldcomeintoeffect.
be increasingly anxious for a final settlement;
the Stateof Israel.
Hungaryrecognized
whereas at first the truce had helped Israel
Egyptianplanesmadehit and run attacks
on Tel Aviv suburbs,and belowRamlehat
to consolidate its position, it was now a bulHulda.ArabLegionnaires
beatbacka groupof
wark to the Arabs in postponing the neceswho
Israeli
struck
I8 milesintosouthfighters
sity of admitting Israel's existence. On AuA forceof IsraelifightersasernTransjordan.
gust S Foreign Minister Shertok made a
saultedJerusalem's
WalledCity.
first bid for direct peace talks with the Arab
CountFolkeBernadotte,
the UN MedifuneY:
states on the basis, presumably, of the recogator,flewto Cairo,Amman,andTel Aviv to
nition of Israeli sovereignty over territory
negotiatethe cease-fire.
then held by its military forces. The suggesGreat Britain ceased exportingmilitary
tion was repudiated by Arab representatives.
suppliesand equipmentto the Arab states.
On August I3 the Israeli Government called
It announcedits authoritieswoulddetainin

460
numbersof men of militaryage introducedinto

Palestine were not disproportionateand therefore a military advantage to one side; such
Aviv between a 2,500-ton transport ship, an
men wouldin any case be kept in campsunder
LCT, and a small destroyer all belonging to
UN surveillanceduringthe truce;(3) the MediEgypt, and planes and a single corvette-type
ator and his staff would check on all immigration and would be notifiedwell in advanceof
warship belonging to Israel. The Egyptian
the arrivalof immigrants;(4) for at least the
vessels retired without landing troops.
A battle was reported in progress in the
first week, the Mediator would exercise his
discretionregardingentry of immigrants;(5)
Jenin area. An artillery duel between Egyptian
and Israeli troops took place in the Isdud area.
movement of troops or war materiel would
Arab Legion 25-pounders resumed the shelling
be forbidden; (6) fronts, lines, and fighting
of Jewish districts in Jerusalem.
strengths would remain unchanged; (7) the
InternationalRed Cross would provide relief
une5: An Egyptian column was surrounded by
for sufferingpopulations,taking care not to
Israeli forces above Isdud; Arabs attacked from
increase stocks above pre-truce standards;
the north and east to relieve it. Syrians began
an offensive at Mlishmar ha-Yarden. Fighting
(8) all warlikeacts on sea, land, or air would
was bitter around Tulkarm.
be prohibited.(Text, New YorkTimes,June 9,
page 5.)
7une 6: The Jewish quarters of Jerusalem experiArab Legion heavy guns blasted the road
enced their heaviest Arab shelling since May I 5.
made by the Haganah as a substitute for the
7une 7: Count Folke Bernadotte presented a
truce plan to Israel and the Arab states; it
Jerusalem-TelAviv highway. Israeli troops
attacked on a i5-mile front north of Jenin,
called for a cease-fire and a 4-week truce.
which they entered.
Replies were requested within 48 hours.
Aubrey Eban, representing Israel before the June 9: Count Folke Bernadotte requested an
international patrol squadron of 6 vessels
UN Security Council, submitted the text of
a 7-point agreement between the UN Mediator
(i from Belgium, 2 from France, and 3 from
and the Foreign Minister of the Provisional
the U. S.) to controlimmigrationand importation of armsduringthe truce.
Government of Israel regarding interpretation
of the immigration clauses in the Council's
Israel and the states of the Arab League
May 29 resolution. The agreement provided for
acceptedunconditionallythe Security Council
truce. (Texts of replies, New York Times,
the entry of men of military age to Palestine,
June io, page 8.)
but forbade their mobilization and training in
Israeli forcesgained 8oo yards in an attack
Israel during the cease-fire. (Text, New York
in the Musrarahquarterof Jerusalem.Syrian
Times, June 8, page 4.)
The USSR announced it was prepared to
and EgyptianplanesraidedTiberias,Nazareth,
and Tel Aviv.
dispatch military observers to Palestine to
June 1O: The USSR urgedthe UN SecurityCounhelp implement the cease-fire resolution.
cil to send Soviet military observersto help
French Foreign Minister Georges Bidault
officially received Dr. Chaim Weizmann, Presicarryout the Palestinetruce and cease-fire.
Both Israeli and Arab forces fought to imdent of Israel, during the latter's visit to Paris.
Egyptian forces at Isdud were reinforced by
prove their positions in all sectors before the
sea. Arabs made slight headway in fighting
truce and cease-fire were imposed; stiffest
between Lake Hulah and the Sea of Galilee.
fightingwas at Latrunand on the Isdud front.
7une 8: The UN Mediator notified the Security June Ii: Palestine was generally quiet. The
Council he had fixed the start of the truce and
Arabs reported 4 Israeli truce and cease-fire
cease-fire for June i i, 6:oo a.m. GMT. All
violations;the Israelisreportedone Arabviolaparties must accept unconditionally not later
tion.
than June 9 at noon GMT, or the whole matter June I2: Rumaniarecognizedthe State of Israel.
would be turned over to the Security Council. June I3: Menahem Beigin, leader of the Irgun
In his notes to Israel and the Arab states, UN
Zvai Leumi, announced the organization of
a new political group, the Jewish Movement
Mediator Bernadotte laid down the following
truce conditions to be enforced so that "no
for Freedom,which would becomepart of the
military advantage will accrue to either side":
IsraeliArmy but would continueunderground
no fighting personnel would be introduced
(i)
activities outside the state for the liberation
into any part of Palestine or the Arab states;
of "all Palestine."
(2)
the Mediator would determine that the
Israel challenged the truce by bringing a
Cyprus,duringthe cease-fire,any Jewishmale

immigrantsof militaryage.
7une 4: A 4-hour sea battle took place off Tel

46I
President Truman named James Grover

46-truck food convoy into Jerusalem, unMcDonaldas specialrepresentativeto head the
checked, via a Haganah-built road they
U.S. mission to Israel. Eliahu Epstein became
claimedto have used priorto the truce. Syrian
Israel'sspecialrepresentativeto the U.S.
forces violated the truce 4 times by attacking
Jewish settlements in Galilee, including Kfar 7une 23: Count Folke Bernadotte, the UN Mediator, began informal conferences first with
Szold and Ein Gev.
Arab and then Israeli experts in an attempt to
7une I4: The JewishAgencyfor Palestineagreed
come to a permanent peace agreement.
to the establishmentof a convoy checkpost at
The Israeli Government arrested 70 Irgun
Bab al-Wad,in answerto a UN Truce Commission ultimatum.
7une 15: The Security Council, all abstaining

except the USSR and the Ukraine,rejectedthe
USSR proposalto send Russian observersto
Palestine.
The UN Mediator,reportingviolationsof the
truceto the SecurityCouncil,stated his general
satisfactionwith the way the truce was working out. (Text, New York Times, June i6,
page25.)
7une i6: The UN Mediatorconferredwith Arab
leadersin Cairo.
The UN SecretaryGeneral,complyingwith
a Security Council request, called the attention
of all UN membersto the provisionsof the

cease-fireagreementconcerningimmigration.
The Arabs agreedto the setting up of UN
check posts leadingto ArabJerusalem.
It was reported that Ahmad Hilmi Pasha
'Abd al-Baqi, a member of the Arab Higher
Committee, was appointed military governor
of the Arab sectionsof Jerusalem.
The Israeli Government accused Great
Britain of imposingoil sanctionson Israel by
shuttingoff the pipelineto Haifa.
June i8: A volunteer force of 42 U. S. citizens
and 7 from other nations left New York for
Palestine to take up duties in enforcingthe
truce.
Yune 21: Irgun Zvai Leumi landed 6oo men and
I50 women at Natanyah, and attempted to
land a shipload of arms and ammunition,a
part of which was seized by Haganah.
HaroldEvans, the MunicipalCommissioner
for Jerusalem,returnedto the U. S. in orderto
leave Count Folke Bernadottea free hand.
The UN Mediator reported that he had
reached an agreementwith Israeli and Arab
governmentsas to a no-man'slandin Jerusalem.
The Syrian Governmentofficially accused
Israelifightersof violatingthe truce by setting
fire to four Galilee villages: Samakh, Ubaydiyah, Khalfa, and Zanghariyah.
June 22: Irgun Zvai Leumi attemptedto unload
arms and ammunitionin defianceof the UN
truce and Haganah shore batteries,which set
fire to their ship, the Altalena.Twelve persons
were killed and 40 wounded.
Zvai Leumi members as a result of the incident

of June 22. The Irgun announced it would no
longer recognize the government; two Mizrahi
Ministers, Judah L. Fishman and Moshe
Shapiro, resigned from the government; Irgunist leader Menahem Beigin ordered his men
not to take the oath of allegiance to Israel, but
also not to take up arms against it.
Jamal al-Husayni, vice chairman of the Arab
Higher Committee, protested the U. S. Republican Party platform endorsement of the State
of Israel, and urged Americans to support a
single Palestinian state.
.7une 24: The Israel State Council received a 24-7
(5 abstaining) vote of confidence on its action
against dissident elements. The 2 cabinet members who resigned June 23 resumed their posts.
7une 25: The UN withdrew its representatives
from Egyptian-controlled territory, and notified the Egyptian Government it had violated
the truce when (i) its troops refused to allow
an Israeli convoy to pass through their territory
to settlements in the Negeb; and (2) its plane
strafed a UN plane. Colonel Paul Bonde of the
UN notified the Israeli Government it was free
to take action against Egyptian forces. Count
Bernadotte demanded a full explanation from
the Egyptian Government.
Yune 27: The second plenary assembly of the
World Jewish Congress opened in Montreux,
Switzerland.
Commanders of Israel's new army, Zvah
Haganah (Army of Defense), participated in a
private ceremony in which they swore allegiance
to the army and the state. Among those participating were Jacob Dostrovski, Chief of
Staff, Yigal Yadin (Sukenik), Chief of Operations, and Aharon Rabinovitch, Commander
of the Tel Aviv area.
John J. MacDonald arrived in Jerusalem to
assume his post as U. S. Consul General.
,7une 28: Regular air mail postal service to Israel
was resumed.
Count Folke Bernadotte, the UN Mediator,
submitted to Israel and the Arab states tentative proposals for a solution of the Palestine
question, as follows: (i) A Palestine union embracing Transjordan to be composed of 2 states;

462
(2) Israel and the Arab state each to exercise 7uly 4: Machineguns, mortars,and cannonwere
full controlover its own domesticand defense
firedby both sides duringa i2-hourruptureof
problems;(3) both states to solve mutual ecothe UN cease-firein Jerusalem.
nomic and defense problemsthrough the me- Yfuly5: UN Mediator Count Folke Bernadotte
dium of a CentralCouncil;(4) immigrationto
asked both Israeli and Arab leadersfor an exbe within the competenceof each state, subject
tension of the Palestine truce and for neutral
to the review of the Central Council after 2
status in any event for Jerusalem and the
Haifa port area. These he proposed to keep
years fromthe foundingof the union; the Economic and Social Councilof the UN to have
under UN supervision,policed by a minimum
finalsay in the event of a CentralCouncildeadof 1,OOOAmerican,French,and Belgianarmed
lock; (5) Jerusalemto be underArabrule, subguards. The UN Secretary-Generalrequested
ject to a measure of local government by a
the U. S., France, and Belgiumto furnishthe
municipal council representing the IO0,OOO
requiredforces.
Jews in the Holy City; the city to have special
The Israeli State Council rejected all the
UN status to guaranteeaccess to Holy Places;
main peace proposalssubmitted by the UN
(6) the Arabsto receivepartor the wholeof the
Mediator.
Negeb; (7) the Jews to receive part or the 7uly 7: Irgun Zvai Leumi kidnappedS British
whole of WesternGalilee; (8) Haifa, including
civiliansfroma powerhousein Jerusalemflying
refineriesand installations,to be a free port;
the UN flag, and held them in custody on
Lyddia to be a free airport.(Text, New York
charges they communicatedwith enemies of
Times,July S, page2.)
the Israeliforces.
June 29: The UN Truce Commissionnotified
2,IOO Jews sailedfromCyprusto reachIsrael
Israel that the Egyptianshad agreedto permit
beforethe truce expired.
the passageof foodandsupplyconvoysto Negeb
The UN Security Council voted 8-a to
settlements.
request that the Arab states and Israel agree
June30: British CommanderLieutenant-General to an extension of the truce for a period to
G. H. A. MacMillan became the last British
be decided upon in consultation with the
soldierof the mandatorypowerto leave PalesMediator.
tine, as the final British unit departed from
The IsraeliGovernmentindicatedits willingHaifa. The port was placedofficiallyunderthe
ness to extend the truce30 days underexisting
Israeli Government.
of the Arab
conditions;the Secretary-General
League, Abd al-Rahman Azzam Pasha, anYulyI: CountBernadottereportedto the Security
Councilthat except for the Egyptian action in
nouncedthere would "be no extensionof the
trucein Palestine."Both the UN Mediatorand
firingon a UN plane,he consideredthe incident
of June 25 closed.
the Secretary-General
of the ArabLeagueindiThe World Jewish Congress meeting at
cated mediationwouldcontinueeven if fighting
Montreux,Switzerland,askedfor worldJewish
wereresumed.
resistance to any attempt to diminish the
The UN took controlof HadassahHospital
and HebrewUniversity,security forcesevacusovereigntyor to reducethe territoryof Israel;
it also askedfor worldrecognitionof the state.
ating 225 Haganahsoldiers.
AubreyS. Ebanwas recognizedby the USSR
7uly 2: Abd al-RahmanAzzamPasha, the Secretary-Generalof the Arab League, stated that
Chairmanof the SecurityCouncilas the "Repthe Arab states rejected Count Bernadotte's
resentativeof the State of Israel." Jamal alproposalsfor a Palestinesolution.
Husayni,vice chairmanof the PalestinianArab
Yuly3: In a reportto the UN Secretary-General, HigherCommittee,walkedout of the Security
IsraeliMinisterof FinanceEliezerKaplanproCouncilin protest.
tested against the British Government'sim- 7uly 8: The UN cease-firecame to an end. Count
poundingof sterling balancesequal to LiooBernadotteorderedall of his truce staff but a
few UN military observersout of Palestine;
iSo million pendingan agreementwith Israeli
and Arab authoritieson the assets of British
two U. S. warshipsaided in evacuatingabout
200 truce personnel,mostly U. S. citizens.The
economic concerns in Palestine. He stated
Israelirevenuesas of June 2I were more than
IsraeliGovernmentagreedto a three-daytruce
to cover UN staff evacuation;it also agreedto
?900,000,andthat ?3,500,000of the ?5,ooo,ooo
nationalloan was subscribed.
discuss the demilitarizationof Jerusalem,but
CountFolke Bernadotteconferredwith Arab
did not favordemilitarizationof the Haifaarea.
League representatives in Cairo on Arab
The ArabLeagueagreedto discussdemilitarizafor peace in Palestine.
tion of Haifa and to acceptan immediateceasecounter-proposals

DEVELOPMENTS
fire in Jerusalem'sHoly Places; it ignoredthe

Mediator's appeal for a 3-day truce. (Texts,
Israeli:New YorkTimes,July 9, page 2; Arab:
July
IO,
page
2.)
At an emergencymeeting of the Security

Council,U. S. RepresentativePhilip C. Jessup
stated that if the Arabs refused to agree to a
truceextension,the U. S. wouldsupportaction
underChapterVII of the UN Charter.
ArabLegionartillerymovedup to Jerusalem
from a JordanRiver base. Sniper and mortar
fire in Jerusalemincreased,and Israeli forces
stormedthe King David Hotel.
July 9: Count Folke Bernadotte,UN Mediator,
appealedto both Arabs and Israelisto accept
an additional io-day armisticefrom I2 noon
GMT July io.
Iraqi troops attacked Natanyah. Egyptian
and Israeli troops fought in the Majdal area.
Israeli forces launched an attack in Western
Galilee.
July io: Two Egyptian Spitfiresbombed Jerusalem. Israeli forces captured Lydda airport,
Wilhelma,and six villageson the centralfront.
Israeli planes attacked several points on the
southernfrontandRamlehon the centralfront.
Israel notifiedthe UN it would heed the appeal for a io-day cease-fireif the Arabswould
also; Abd al-RahmanAzzamPasha, SecretaryGeneralof the ArabLeague,rejectedthe ceasefirerequest.
July IS: Israeli forces surroundedRamleh and
Lydda, and took 3 villages in the Acre area.
Iraqi and Palestinianirregularsclaimedthe recaptureof 7 Israeli-occupied
villagesnearJenin.
Heavy firingcontinuedin Jerusalem.
July 12: Israeli forces captured Ramleh; Arab
forcesrecapturedBayt Nabalaand Dayr Tarif,
northeastof Lydda.
July I3: Israeli forces captured Ras al-Ayn, source
of Jerusalem's main water supply. They also
retook Bayt Nabala and Dayr Tarif, and captured Suba. Severe fighting was reported in
Jerusalem and its environs.
Count Bernadotte testified at Lake Success
on the Palestine situation. (Excerpts, New York
Times,July 14, page i8.)
Dr.PhilipC.JessupinU. S. Representative
intotheSecurityCouncilajointU. S.troduced
Britishresolutiondemanding
that an orderbe
servedonbothArabsandIsraelisinPalestineto
desist from furthermilitaryactionwithin3
days, and in Jerusalemwithin 24 hours,and to
OF THE QUARTER
463
of the UN Charter. (Text, New York times,

July
I4,
page i8.)
The Security Council Truce Commission,

consistingof the consulsin Jerusalemof France,
Belgium, and the U. S., reportedthe international character of Jerusalem was gravely
threatenedby recentJewish actions and statements, and that immediateaction was necessary to stop fightingthere.
July if: Israeli forces claimed the capture of 3
villagesnearNazareth:ShafaAmr, Malul, and
Ayn Mahil;Arabsopenedan attack on Mount
Zion in Jerusalem.
July 15: A UN guardwas killedin Jerusalem,the
secondof the trucegroupto be killed in action
in Palestine.
The UN Security Councilvoted 7-i for the
July I3 truce and cease-fireresolutionwith the
phrase"pursuantto Article40 of the Charter"
eliminatedfromthe fifth paragraph.
7uly 16: Both the Arab League Political Committee and the IsraeliGovernmentagreedto a
cease-firein Jerusalemto take effect by 3:00
p.m. GMT July i8. Count Folke Bernadotte
calledon Belgiumfor5o truceobservers,France
for I25, and the U. S. for I25 more.
Irgun Zvai Leumi announcedit was giving
the Israeli army custody of the five Britons it
had seizedJuly 7 on chargesof espionage.
Israelitroopstook Nazarethand Tirah.
July 17: Count Folke Bernadotteleft the U. S.
for Rhodesto resumenegotiationsfor an ArabJewish agreement.
The U. S. Navy orderedI2 marinesto Jerusalem to provide protection for U. S. representativesand governmentproperty.
Haganah,Irgun Zvai Leumi, and the Fighters for the Freedomof Israeljoined in a heavy
assaulton the Old City of Jerusalem.
July i8: Heavy casualtieswere reportedas a result of firingin Jerusalem.
7uly z9: Israel accusedSyrian troops of a truce
violationin takingTall al-Azaziyat;fightingreportedlytook place at Zirin,near Nazareth,in
Jerusalem,and aroundMishmarha-Yarden.
July 2!: In the presenceof the UN ConsularTruce
Commission,BrigadierGeneralDavid Shaltiel
for Israel and Lieutenant Colonel Abdallah
al-Tel for the Arabssigned a boundaryagreement establishingthe limits of the Arab and
Jewishareasin Jerusalem.
July 22: The oil refineryat Haifaresumed24-hour
a day operations,staffed by Israeli personnel.
of
keepthe peace"untila peacefuladjustment
the futuresituationin Palestineis reached." July 23: The GeneralZionistParty of Israel
Refusalto obeythe orderwouldbe recognized adopteda resolution
thatJerusalem
demanding
as a breachof the peaceunderChapterVII
be includedin Israel.

464
July 24: Count Bernadotte asked for a special UN

assistant to cope with the problem of Arab and
Jewish Palestine war refugees. The UN Mediator arrived in Beirut for conversations with
Arab leaders.
July 25: Israeli Government declared the new city
of Jerusalem, with its population of ioo,000
Jews, to be Israel-occupied territory.
July 26: A UN military observer charged Israeli
troops and planes with violating the truce in
attacking 3 Arab villages along the HaifaTel Aviv road.
7uly 27: The UN Security Council rejected a
Syrian resolution under which the Council
would have asked the World Court to rule on
the international status of Palestine, and indirectly on the question of the UN's jurisdiction
over the Holy Land after the British Mandate
ended.
Israel staged a full military parade in Tel
Aviv on the 44th anniversary of the death of
Theodor Herzl, the founder of Zionism.
King Abdallah of Transjordan wrote to all
Arab rulers describing the Palestine refugee
problem as "dangerous" and requesting their
prompt assistance.
Dr. Nadim al-Pachachi, Iraqi Director-General of Economics, stated Iraq would resume
pumping oil to Haifa only if the refineries were
placed under international control.
7uly 28: Israel opened a consulate in New York,
with Arthur Lourie as Consul General.
Israeli and Egyptian forces were reportedly
fighting in the Negeb region of Palestine.
Moshe Shapiro, Israel's Minister of Immigration, announced that almost 25,000 immigrants had been admitted to Israel since the
state's creation.
The office of the UN Mediator announced
that Arab and Israeli authorities had agreed to
place the main pumping station for Jerusalem's
water supply under UN control during the truce.
The Arab Legion admitted responsibility for
the death of the UN guard July I (, and stated
its "profound regret."
The UN Trusteeship Council voted 8-i to
postpone indefinitely any action on the establishment of an international regime in Jerusalem.
7uly30: Count Bernadotte reported to the Security Council a truce violation by Arab civilians
and forces July 29 at Latrun: they turned back
the first Jerusalem convoy since resumption of
the truce July i8.
Major General Aage Lundstroem of the
Swedish Air Force assumed his duties as Chief
of Staff to the UN Mediator.
Aug. 1: The Israeli Governmentappointed Dr.

Bernard Joseph Military Governor of Jerusalem.
Moshe Shertok, Israeli Foreign Minister,
stated Israel would discuss the returnof Arab
refugeesonly as part of a peace treaty between
Israel and the Arab states.
Count Folke Bernadotte,UN Mediator,announcedIsrael and the Arabs had acceptedin
principle the complete demilitarization of
Jerusalem.Beforeleaving for a six-day tour of
the Arab countriesand Israel, he further announced his recommendationto the UN Security Council to maintain the right of Arab
refugees to return freely to their homes in
Israeli-held sections of Palestine during the
truce.
AUg. 2: Ninety-fiveadditionalU. S. Army,Navy,
andAir Forceofficerswouldaid in enforcingthe
Palestine truce, the U. S. State Department
announced.BrigadierGeneralWilliamE. Riley
would head the Americangroup.
Moshe Shertok stated Israel had informed
the Chiefof Staff of the UN Mediatorthat the
Israeli Governmentwould feel free to resume
war againstthe Egyptiansunless they checked
their attacks againstIsraelipositions.
Aug.3: ColonelMlosheDayan took over as Military Commanderof the Jewish areas of Jerusalem and Chief of the Sixth Israeli Army
Brigade, succeeding Brigadier-GeneralDavid
Shaltiel.
The Israeli Governmentannounceda new
order permittingit to register for draft labor
immigrantsarrivingin Israel after July I8.
Aug. 4: The Israeli Governmentnotified Count
Folke Bernadotte that it would not agree to
British planes manned by the UN flying over
Israeli positions. It asked the UN Security
Councilto declarethat Great Britain violated
the Palestine truce in holding 1,000 Jewish
refugeeson Cyprus.
Aug.5: Brig. Gen. WilliamE. Riley and i9 U. S.
ovservers for the UN Truce Commissionarrived in Haifa.
Israeli Foreign Minister Moshe Shertok
askedCountFolkeBernadotteto try to arrange
a peace conferencefor direct negotiationsbetween Israel and the Arabstates.
Aug. 6: In a letter to the SecurityCouncil,Great
Britain protested that the S Britons charged
with espionageby the IsraeliGovernmentwere
taken into custody in a UN zone, and asked
that they be released.
Aug.7: U. S. ConsulGeneralJohn J. MacDonald
protested to the Israeli Military Governorof
Jerusalemagainst the woundingof a consular

DEVELOPMENTS
OF THE QUARTER
465
guard and other firing at Americanconsulate Aug. I7: CountFolke BernadotterequestedU. S.

employees; he requested the incidents be rehelp for the 337,ooo refugeesfrom Israel-Arab
portedto the SecurityCouncilas a violationof
fightingin Palestine.
the truce.
Israel issued its own currency,substituting
It was officially reported that Irgun Zvai
the Israelipound for the Palestinepound with
Leumi had informedthe Israeli Military Govno change in value. The new denominations
ernorof Jerusalemthat it acceptedhis authorwouldbe issuedby the Anglo-PalestineBankof
ity in the city.
Tel Aviv; after SeptemberI5 Israeli currency
Aug. 8: Officialsof the InternationalRefugeeOrwouldbe the only legal tenderin Israel.
ganizationrejectedan informalrequestby the
An artilleryduel between Israeli and Arab
Arab League that the I.R.O. assumeresponsiLegion troops raged for 5 hours in southern
bility for Arab refugeesfrom Israeli-controlled Jerusalem.
territory.
Soviet MinisterPavel I. Yershov presented
Aug. 9: The Soviet Minister to Israel, Pavel
his credentialsin Tel Aviv.
IvanovitchYershov,arrivedin Tel Aviv.
The Israeli Military Governorof Jerusalem
Aug. 1O: The Secretary-Generalof the Arab
reportedthat 293 alleged Arab violations reLeague stated that the Arabs rejectedIsrael's
sulting in the death of at least i S personstook
proposalfor directpeace negotiations.
place duringthe first month of the truce.
Three of the 5 Britonsheld by Israel on es- Aug. z8: The U. S., France,Canada,and Belgium
pionage chargeswere released. FrederickSylnoted that only the SecurityCouncilhad power
vester and WilliamHawkinswere retainedfor
to discontinuethe presentPalestine truce; the
trial in Jerusalem.
Councilwarnedit would considerpositive acAug. II: The UN Mediator asked Arabs and
tion in the event the truce was broken. Both
Israelis not to fire, even if fired upon, after 6
IsraeliandArabrepresentativesreiteratedtheir
a.m. GMT; the Arabs agreed. The Mediator
acceptance.
askedIsraelitroopsto withdrawfromstrategic
Secretaryof State Marshallannouncedthat
hill 312 on the Latrun-Ramallahroad, holding
the U. S. wouldfurnishI125enlistedmen as UN
that the hill was occupiedafter the truce was
truceobserversat the requestof the UN Mediproclaimed.
ator.
12: The water pumpingstation at Latrun
AUg.
Peter Bergson, Yaaqov Meridor, Eliyahu
was blownup, presumablyby Arabs;the Israeli
Lenkin,Amitzarand MosheHasson, Irgunists
Governmentpromptlywithdrewfrom a previjailed by the Israeli Government after the
ous agreement to evacuate the villages of
Irgunuprisingof June 22, announcedthey were
Ajanjul and Buwayiri,to which Arab refugees
beginninga hungerstrike.
wereto be allowedto return.The UN took over
King Abdallah reported that Transjordan
the pumpingstation to superviserepairs.
was spending almost ?25o,ooo a month on
The British Governmentdonated ?ioo,ooo
Palestinerefugees.
worth of medicalstores and tents for the relief Aug. 19: The SecurityCounciladopteda resoluof refugee Arabs, to be turned over to "any
tion demandingthat Arab and Israeli regular
suitable internationalorganizationdesignated
and irregular forces cease truce violations.
by the UN Mediator."
(Text, New YorkTimes,August I9, pages i, S.)
James G. McDonald,firstU. S. envoy to IsEgyptians demandedthe withdrawalunder
rael, arrivedin Tel Aviv.
threat of fire of Israeli forceswho had evacuAug.i3: FourhundredJewishJerusalemcitypolice
ated and taken control of a girls' farm school
were inductedinto the Israeliconstabulary.
and an Arab college near GovernmentHouse
The Israeli Governmentdemandedthat the
in the Red Crossenclave.
Security Councilfix a time limit on the truce. Jug. 20: The Government of Israel, in a memoAug. 15: An Israeli attack on Arab positions in
randum to the UN Security Council, applied
the Bab al-Wadarea was reported.
for admissionto the UN.
The Stern Group held a public meeting in
High Arabofficialsmet in Ammanto discuss
Jerusalem at which the "liberationi"of the
unificationof Arabforcesfor the fight in Palescity and its transformationinto the capital of
tine after the truce.
Israelwas urged.
U. S. Secretaryof State GeorgeC. Marshall
Aug. z6: The Executive Boardof the UN Interinformedthe UN Mediatorthat the American
national EmergencyChildrens'Fund decided
Red Crossand other relieforganizationswould
to devote $400,000 to feeding Arab refugee
respondto his requestof August I7 for aid for
mothersand children.
Palestinewar refugees.

466
Aug. 2!: The Mediator'sChiefof Staff,Maj. Gen.
Lundstroem,stated that the trucewas beingrespected on all fronts except aroundJerusalem,

and that there would be 300 UN military observerson duty by August 26.
Aug. 22: A session of the WorldZionist General
Councilbeganin Jerusalem.
Aug. 23: The Inspector-Generalof the Israeli
Army and formercommanderin the Jerusalem
David Shaltiel,arrived
area,Brigadier-General
in Prague,Czechoslovakia.
The Egyptian Defense Ministry announced
the death of the Egyptian Commanderin
Jerusalem,AhmadAbd al-Aziz.
Speakingbeforethe InnerZionistCouncilin
Jerusalem,Israel'sPrime MinisterDavid Ben
Gurion expressedthe hope of an early peace
with the Arabs,said the truce was not "working against" Israel, that Israel reserved the
right to suggest several frontierchanges, that
the Arab minority problemshould be reconsidered by aiming at a stricter territorialseparationbetweenArabsand Jews.
Aug. 24: The U. S. State Departmentannounced
it would protest the Israeli kidnapping and
maltreatmentof a U. S. code clerk, George
Paro, in Jerusalem.
In a speechbeforethe ZionistGeneralCouncil, Dr. EmmanuelNeumann,Presidentof the
Zionist Organizationof America,insisted that
complete separation must exist between the
activities of the Governmentof Israel and the
governing bodies of the world Zionist movement. Israeli Prime Minister Ben Gurion revealed that Israel had been spending about
75% of its nationalincomefor war.
Aug. 26: The UN Mediator threatenedto cite
Israel to the SecurityCouncilfor violatingthe
Palestine truce unless Israeli troops were removed from the InternationalRed Crosszone
in Jerusalem,where they had been since Aug.
i 8.
Saudi Arabia
of the
(For commenton the developments
quarter,see Oil, page 457.)
CHRONOLOGY
Ir948
,7une 2!: Foreign Minister Amir Faysal Ibn Saud
left London after conferring with Foreign Secretary Bevin and Foreign Office officials.
fune 25: Settling a long-standing difference of
opinion between the Saudi Arabian Government and the Arabian American Oil Company
(Aramco), the latter agreed that if it chose not
to pay its royalty of 4 gold shillings per ton
of oil in gold sovereigns, and instead elected to
pay in dollars, it would do so by computing its
royalty at the rate of $12 per gold pound. The
agreement would hold so long as the official
price of gold remained at $3S an ounce.
7une 27: King Abdallah of Transjordan arrived
at Riyad, where he was met by King Ibn Saud.
7uly I5: Saudi Arabia allowed a $i 5,ooo,ooo credit
extended by the Export-Import Bank to expire.
Aug. 12: Transjordan and Saudi Arabia agreed to
exchange diplomatic representatives. Sheikh
Abd al-Aziz Kahaymi was designated Saudi
Arabian Minister to Transjordan. (London
Times,August I3, page 4.)
Jug. i6: Saudi Arabia refused to accept a ?I 5,000,ooo U. S. loan because of American support
of the Jews in Palestine.
Syria
CHRONOLOGY
1948
7une Ii: An Israeli communique announced an air

raid on Damascus a few hours before the Pales-
tine truce. Damascus announced a second raid

Aug.28: Two Frenchofficerson a UN aerialcoast
in violation of the truce.
patrol near Gaza were forceddown and killed
by riflefire.
,7une II: The U. S. Department of State announced that the Syrian Government had
Aug. 29: Egyptians and Israelis agreedto withjoined Egypt in rejecting U. S. protests against
draw simultaneouslytroops and war equiptheir announced blockade of the coast of Israel.
ment, and to destroy their own installationsin
the neutral zone surroundingthe Red Cross 7une3o: Syria signed the Protocol of Provisional
application, to become, after a lapse of 30 days,
area in Jerusalem which comprisedGoverna contracting party to the General Agreement
ment House, an Arab college, and a Jewish
on Tariffs and Trade of October 1947. (Foreign
school for girls. The UN would supervisethe
Commerce
Weekly,July 24, page 48.)
withdrawal.
The Egyptian Governmentcabled the UN Aug. 17: Shukri al-Quwwatli took the oath inaugurating his second five-year term of office as
Mediatoradmittingresponsibilityfor the death
on Aug. 28 of two Frenchofficerson patrol,and
president. (Arab News Bulletin, No. 70, Aug.
1948.)
expressingregret.

467
Aug. 2r: Iraqi Regent Abd al-Ilah and Prime

signed. The Prime Ministerwas instructedto
Minister Muzahim al-Pachachi conferred in
forma new one.
Amman.
Aug. 23: A new cabinetwas formed,as follows:
Jamil Mardam Bey - Prime Minister,
Defense
Lutfi Haffar- Vice PrimeMinister,State
Sa'id al-Ghazzi- Justice
Muhsinal-Barazi- ForeignAffairs
CHRONOLOGY
Muhammadal-'Ayish- Agriculture(acting), State
.948
Sabrial-'Afali- Interior
7une 4: Turkishpoliceand a U. S. narcoticsagent
MikhailIlyan - National Economy
seized $I,OOO,oooworth of heroinin Istanbul.
'Adil Arslan- Health and SocialAffairs 7une 6: Cemal Feridun Erkin, Ambassadorto
AhmadRifa'i- Public Works
Italy, was appointedAmbassadorto WashingWahbahHariri- Finance
ton. He would be replacedby HiuseyinRagip
Munir'Ajlani- Education
Baydur,presentWashingtonAmbassador.
7une 8: The cabinet resigned. (London Times,
June 9, page 4.)
fune 1o: Prime Minister Hasan Saka formed a
new cabinetas follows:
Aug. r9: The cabinet of Jamil MardamBey re-
Turkey
Trans ordan
CHRONOLOGY
1948
June i: Israeli airmenbombedAmmanin a sur-
prise raid. Six Arabswere reportedkilled.

June r5: Dr. Syud Hossein,India'sfirst Minister
Hasan Saka - Prime Minister

Semsettin Gunaltay - State
Fuat Sirmen - Justice
Hiisnii 4akir - Defense
NecmettinSadak- ForeignAffairs
Sevket Adalan - Finance
Tahsin Banguoglu - Education

to Transjordan,presented his credentials to
Nihat Erim - Public Works
King Abdallah.
Cavit Ekin - Economy
June 24: King Abdallah left Cairo, after conKemaliBayazit - Public Health
ferringwith King Farouk.
Emin Erisilgil - Monopolies
July I: KingAbdallahvisited Baghdad.(London
Cavit Oran - Agriculture
Times,July 2, page4.)
Kasim Giulek- Communications
July 12: The British Governmentwithheld the
Cemil Sait Barlas - Commerce
?5oo,ooo quarterlysubsidy due Transjordan's
Bekir Balta - Labor
militaryforces.
MuinirHiisrevG6le - Interior
July 11: A riot protestingthe British and American stand on Palestine took place in Amman. rune 15: A Turko-SwedishTrade and Payments
Agreement came into effect under which
July 18: King Abdallah personallydispenseda
Sweden would sell Turkey cardboard,newscivilianmobshouting"Downwith the British,"
"Down with Truman."
print, machinery, machine tools, iron and steel
quarterly products, and telephone equipment, in ex7uly 27: The BritishGovernment's

subsidy to Transjordanwas resumedafter change for tobacco, dried fruit, linseed, cotton,
had acceptedthe Palestinetruce copper, and chrome. (News from Turkey, June
Transjordan
I7, page 2.)
askedforby the SecurityCouncil.
Aug. 12: Transjordan
andSaudiArabiaagreedto 7funei8: The new cabinetof HasanSakareceived
Sheikh a vote of confidencefrom the GrandNational
exchangediplomaticrepresentatives.
Abd al-AzizKahaymiwas designatedSaudi Assembly.
ArabianMinisterto Transjordan.(London 3uly 4: U. S. AmbassadorEdwin C. Wilson and
Foreign Minister Necmettin Sadak signed an
Times,August 13, page4.)
agreementprovidingfor the procedureto imAug. 15: BrigadierJohn Bagot GlubbPasha,
of theArabLegion,arrivedin Loncommander
plementERP in Turkey.
don to discussBritain'sannualsubsidyto the 7uly 6: M. Ai Tiirkgeldipresentedhis credentials
ArabLegion.
to Governor-General Rajagopalachari as Am.
Aug. i8: King Abdallahreportedthat Trans- bassador to India.
jordanwasspendingabout?25o,oooa month fuly Ii: Turkish authorities announced they had
forthe reliefof Palestinerefugees.
arrestedand chargedwith murderfour of the

468
six anti-communistswho arrivedfromBulgaria

industrialequipmentfor Turkish tobacco and
by plane on June 30.
dried fruit.
7uly 14: Twenty Turkish citizens chargedwith Aug. 6: It was announcedthat a Councilof Nacommunist activities were convicted and 36
tionalDefensewas to be set up in Turkeyunder
were freed in the biggest trial of communists
the chairmanshipof the Prime Minister.(Lonever held in Turkey.SefikHiisnii,leaderof the
don Times,Aug. 7, page 4.)
dissolved Turkish Socialist Laborers and Aug. II: GeorgeWadsworthreceiveda recessapPeasant Party, was sentenced to five years
pointmentas U. S. Ambassadorto Turkey rehardlabor.
placingEdwin C. Wilson.
_7uy23: Turkeyreceivedi auxiliarynavalvesAug. i6: U. S. Secretaryfor Air W. Stuart Symselsunderthe American
aidprogram.
Aug.4: Turkishtradeministryofficials
announced ington and General Hoyt Vandenberg,Air
Force Chief of Staff, arrivedin Ankara.(News
a Sovietofferto buy valonia,the firsttime a
from Turkey,Aug. I9, page i.)
SovietofferhadbeenmadesinceI939.
GeorgeWadsworth,newly appointedU. S.
It was also announcedthat a Polishtrade
delegationheadedby AntoniRoman,former Ambassador,visited Turkey to conferwith his
predecessor,Edwin C. Wilson.
MinisterofTradeandIndustry,hadreachedan
agreement
withTurkeywherebyPolandwould AUg. 20: Edwin C. Wilson, retiring U. S. Ambassador,left Turkey.
exchangesugar,newsprint,rollingstock,and


Middle East Chronology: June 1st To August 31st, 1948

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Middle East Chronology: June 1st To August 31st, 1948

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Developments of the Quarter: Comment and Chronology June 1-August 31, 1948

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Middle East was not entirely dormant. A

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THE MIDDLE EAST JOURNAL

June 4: A 4-hour sea battle between a 2,Soo-ton

credit to maintain the Egyptian Army.

S. Pinckney Tuck, former U.S. Ambassador

The British War Office announcedthe appointment of Major-GeneralL. 0. Lynne to

July 24i The murderer of Egyptian Finance

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DEVELOPMENTS OF THE QUARTER

India and Pakistan

remain completely independent if it so

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THE MIDDLE EAST JOURNAL

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DEVELOPMENTS OF THE QUARTER

Services.In regardto newly-electedmunicipal

the Nizam of Hyderabad had rejected the

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THE MIDDLE EAST JOURNAL

stores and installations in those dominions;

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DEVELOPMENTS OF THE QUARTER

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THE MIDDLE EAST JOURNAL

Madras, to succeedLieut. Gen. Sir Archibald

accordingto the officialstatement of Revenue

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DEVELOPMENTS OF THE QUARTER

7uly I4: The Chamberof Deputies adopted an

to beusedin a textilemillto be builtat Shiraz.

costs. The termsprovidedfor 2H'% interest

7Uly 21: Reportsof the FourPowerinvestigating

commissionon Eritrea and Italian Somaliland

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men as a resultof the cancellationby the U. S.

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DEVELOPMENTS OF THE QUARTER

on July 6. With the exception of the still

firmedreport that in July a secret meeting

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THE MIDDLE EAST JOURNAL

be a minoritypartner;royalty to be $2.50 per

Persian Gulf oil over the next five years.

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DEVELOPMENTS OF THE QUARTER

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THE MIDDLE EAST JOURNAL

numbersof men of militaryage introducedinto

Cyprus,duringthe cease-fire,any Jewishmale

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DEVELOPMENTS OF THE QUARTER

President Truman named James Grover

7une 15: The Security Council, all abstaining

of all UN membersto the provisionsof the

Zvai Leumi members as a result of the incident

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THE MIDDLE EAST JOURNAL

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fire in Jerusalem'sHoly Places; it ignoredthe

At an emergencymeeting of the Security