Evening star., 1947-05-02
Lie Warns U. n.
On Giving Jews
Voice in Debate
Britain Willing to
Heor Them if Legal
Means Con Be Found
By the Associated Press

By the Assoeiafed Press
NEW YORK, May 2.-Trygve
Lie, secretary general of the
United Nations, warned today
that the General Assembly would
|be making a drastic departure
from past practice if it gave the
Jews a voice in Palestine debates.
Mr.. Lie raised no legal objections,
however, against hearing the jew
ish side.
The secretary-gen addressed
the Assembly's 14-nation Steering
Committee after Poland formally
moved a resolution demanding that
the official Jewish Agency for Pal
estine be given the right to repre-
sent the Jews at this extraordinary
session.
Britain declared earlier that the
Jews should be given a voice in the
debate If any legal means could be
found to provide a hearing for them
Requests Always Turned Down.
The secretary-general told the
Steering Committee that in the past
many requests for participation had
been received from non-gopern-
mental organizations but that they
always had been turned down.
1t was felt, Mr.. Lie said, that if
the Assembly gave one concession
it might have to give more later
and, thus, subject itself to flooc
of demands.
As the committee debate pro.
gressed 1t became clear that the ar.
guments would be concerned mainly
with the question of precedent ane
legality.
Indian Delegate. .Asaf Ali said both
the secretary-general and Polanc
had recognized that there were pro.
cedural difficulties in the way. He
agreed that it would be extremely
difficult to create a precedent If you
are not prepared to carry that out
to an unlimited degree
Ali earlier In the week had made
plea for Jewish representation
He said he would be satisfied now Il
all elements in Palestine -bott
Jews and Arabs-were given a
chance to be heard by the proposed
U. N. Palestine Inquiry Committee.
Czech Backs Polish Resolution.
Jan Papanek, Czechoslovakia
supported the Polish resolution fo,
Jewish representation, but suggested
it be made more specific by inviting
the Jewish Agency to "appear be.
fore the plenary meeting of the
General Assembly with one pur.
pose, to express their views on this
question"
The original Polish resolution die
not mention "plenary meeting" but
left the way open for representation
before any U. N. body. Poland ac-
cepted the Czech amendment as tht
Steering Committee recessed unit
2 pm. (E.S.T)
Informed quarters said the United
States would insist on Jewish repre-.
sentation of some kind, but it wa.
understood the American delega.
ton felt that 1t would not be pos.
sible legally to give the Jews voice
in a plenary meeting.
Cadogan Voices Views.
The first official British views or
this delicate problem were expressed
by Sir Alexander Cadogan to news.
men Just before the General AS
semblys 14-nation Steering Com
mittee began discussion of Jewish
demands for representation at this
extraordinary session.
Cadogan said that in view of the
fact that Arab states had entered
into a full debate of the Palestine
question the Jews should be heard
if 1t was "constitutionally feasible.
He refused to say whether he be-
lieved this was possible or, if so
how it could be done.
Despite Cadogan's Endorsement oi
the general idea OF hearing the Jews
there remained a possibility thai
Britain and the United States might
split over the type OF representation
to be given.
Wincewicz Offers Proposal.
Polish Delegate Josef Winiewicz
led off in the Steering Committee
with formal proposal that the Off
cial Jewish Agency for Palestine be
admitted to the Assembly's deliber-
ations. He did not recommend
however. any specific measures tx
implement his proposal.
,"It is up to the Steering Commit.
tee," he said, ito establish tht
form in which the Jewish Agency
could be consulted. We realize al
the procedural difficulties involved
The Assembly. however, is master o.
its own procedure"
| He said he believed it was possible
for the Assembly to invite the Jewish
Agency to appear before one of 1t.