The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1944-03-20
Palestine


Arabian pipeline on Americas
Town Meeting OF the air someone
in the audience asked him about
Palestine and he lodged the issue
on the grounds that II involved cur
rent diplomatic questions which II
was not his province TO discuss.
OF course. anyone who lays him
self open to public heckling has 10
be prepared 10 answer the heck
lers. And the question was pertin'
ent
II is impossible TO ignore the fact
that IL Palestine is closed 10 the
Jews on March 81, as the British
white paper prescribes. no place
is left open TO them, Millions OF
Jews have been made not only
homeless but countryless by the
war. II is not a question OF favor
ing or opposing Palestine as
homeland for the Jewish people a.
much as II is the very practical one
OF keeping some door in this vast
world open TO this people The
shutting OF Palestine 10 further
Jewish immigration will not only
be death to individuals but 10 one
OF the three or four basic cultures
OF mankind.
II is true that the Arabs have a
vested interest in Palestine. but
they have done nothing with and
for the country. over the cen
turtles, they have permitted Arabic
lands 10 grow arid. tiyeIs to be-
come silted. notable cities 10 de-
generate into filthy towns. The
Arab at best is a desert nomad;
his vista Is the distance and move
ment of great open spaces.
The Jew. in a short period OF
little more than half century has
developed some areas into orange
and eucalyptus groves. into mod
ern farms competently producing
agricultural products. He has built
a new, modern city, Telaviv. He
has established an excellent uni
Nersity. He has created hydro
electric power and begun the utili'
cation OF such natural resources as
the chemicals OF the Dead Sea. He
has applied a European economy TO
an Asiatic country and has brought
into a colonial area vast sums OF
capital. the use OF which has be-
yond doubt benefited the Arab as
we'll as the Jew.
The greatest possibilities for Pal
estine lay in Arhb-Jewish coopers-
ton. Were this a righteous world,
such powers as Great Britain ana
the United States would have en-
couraged Arab and Jew TO md
basis for economic and political
cooperation.
Unfortunately. Great Britain pur-
sued two opposite policies: one en-
couraged the Jews 10 believe that
Great Britain would support
Jewish homeland in Palestine un-
der a British mandate from the
League OF Nations; the other en-
coura ged the Arabs TO depend upon
British controls rather than upon
cooperation with the Jews. In the
end. the British became dehnitely
antagonistic to further Jewish de-
velopments In Palestine. At one
time. they proposed a partition
scheme which was as Impractical as
it was cynical. Finally. they set
date for closing the doors OF Pal
estine TO further Jewish migration
and that date comes precisely at
the most tragic moment in all Jew
ish history since the temple was
betrayed and burned two thousand
years ago.
The United States Is a party TO
this quarred because OF an Anglo
American treaty covering the sub
ject Recognizing Great Britain's
difficulties and having no desire to
add TO them. the United States
might have with some justification
stood aside while her ally solved
the problem. Actually, this coun'
try has piled complication upon
complication. First We made lbn-
Saud a present OF more money-it
is reported to be s25. 900 900 in gold
than he has ever seen before az
one time. Then We propose to
build this amazing pipeline in His
desert where il can really be OF no
service 10 the war. Then. when
Congress is considering a resolu-
ton unfolding treaty, General
George Marshalls prestige and po-