Evening star., 1945-10-13

S241N OI1Sl 40 liz 11lu1CdUlOIl bIldI lllt
new Labor government will alter
the policy established by the Cham.
berlain government toward the Jew.
1Sh homeland.
Now in this country is a British
financial mission, seeking a $5,000,.
100000 loan. Negotiations with oul
State Department are said to have
progressed satisfactorily and very
soon an agreement on terms may be
presented to Congress for its ap-
proval. Whatever the merits of the
proposal, and however well it may
be argued that assistance to oul
late ally would work to the benefit
of our own country, it might be
worth while for this British mission
to examine the strength of some OF
the existing prejudices against Brit
ain.
They will find that the prejudice
resulting from the British default
on its moral commitment in the
matter of the Jews, is very strong
prejudice, one capable perhaps of
upsetting their hope of monetary
aid. 1t is deeply rooted in Congress
The last formal action on the SUBJ
Ject occurred a year ago, when a
resolution was Offered asking the
British government to make good
the Balfour declaration, approved
by President Wilson, reopen Pal
estine to Jewish immigration and
permit the building of the contem-
plated Jewish commonwealth. This
resolution was held up at the request
of the administration because of
the war. The thing for the British
to note, however, is the authorship
OF the eSolution-SenatorS Wagner
and Taft, two men ordinarily as far
apart as the poles. When these two
agree on any important policy it
can safely be labeled American
policy. They still agree in this in
stance and both are pressing for
action, as are many other members.
II other evidence is required to
prove the depth of American feel
ing, it can be found in a letter to
President Truman, signed by ma
Jority of the members of the Senate
and House. It can be found in
petition from the Governors of 40
States and in resolutions adopted
by 80 State Legislatures during the
past two years: likewise in resoiu-
tions Of the AFL and the CIO and
the individual pronouncemera Of
616 labor leaders and 1000 univer-
sity presidents and professors.
There is no point in discussing
the merits of the issue. Rightly or
wrongly, opinion in this country
has jelled. The case for the Arabs
has been discounted in the light
of the showing they made during
the war, both as friends anti as
enemies, and their obvious impo-
tence in these days of mechanical
warfare. Junketing Congressman,
after visiting the Near East, are
convinced that the Arabs never
could have been more than a minor
nuisance even when the British
situation was really precarious.
The case for the Jews has been
made as eloquently by British
statesmen as by American. Church
Ills charge that Chamberlain's re-
pudiation of the Balfour declara-
ton was "a plain breach of
solemn obligation" is well known
in this country. So. too, is the posi-
ton taken by the Labor Party be-
fore the recent election. There
was a strong case before the war"
said a party resolution. There
is an irresistible case now, after
the unspeakable atrocities of the
cold and calculated German Nazi
plan to kill all Jews in Europe. i.
The Arabs have many wide terri
tories of their own; they must not
claim to exclude the Jews from this
small area of Palestine, less than
the size of Wales
So, the financial mission might