ABSTRACT
On 17 January 1946 Mr. Ernest Bevin, the British foreign secretary, informed the General Assembly of the United Nations that his government intended to grant independence to the amirate of Transjordan, hitherto a British mandate; on 9 February the assembly unanimously expressed its approval. The intention materialized in the treaty of alliance signed between the governments of Great Britain and Transjordan on 22 March 1946. This chapter deals with the circumstances and considerations that caused the major Western power to delay its recognition of an undoubtedly friendly state. An analysis of the memorandum reveals ambiguities. What is unambiguous is the opinion of the originators-the Division of Near Eastern Affairs-that United States (US) interests demanded recognition of Transjordan as an independent sovereign state upon the termination of the British mandate. Naturally, there had been relations of some kind between the US and mandated Transjordan all along. The amirate came under the jurisdiction of the American consul general in Jerusalem.
