Evening star., 1947-09-28
Up to the United Nations

In his statement to the General ASSem-
blys Extraordinary Committee on Pales-
tine, Colonial Secretary Arthur Creech-
Jones has in effect served notice on the
world that Britain is about ready to pull
out OF the Holy Land whether violence
ensues or not. 1t is notice that places
the gravest responsibility upon the United
Nations-and not least of all upon the
United States as member-to settle
problem whose political and strategical
factors bear with utmost Importance on
the overall problem of establishing
sound global peace.
Mr.. Creech-Jones has made clear in his
definition of policy that Britain is in agree
ment with the twelve general principles
recommended by the United Nations Spe-
cial Committee on Palestine to end the
British mandate and make the strife-torn
country independents as soon as possible.
He has been careful, however, to avoid any
comment on the committees concrete pro-
posals-Q) the minority enc to create
federated ArabJeWiSh state that would
give governing control to the Arabs, and
(2) the majority one to partition the Holy
Land into sovereign Jewish state and
sovereign Arab state, each politically dis
tinct from the other but economically
united Without referring to either of
these plans, he has simply said that the
situation is now the responsibility of the
United Nations, that the British will re-
fuse to enforce-by themselves Solu-
ton not acceptable to the Arabs and Jews,
and that they must plan" to withdraw
from the country at an "early" date even
if there is no settlement.
Through Mr.. Creech-Jones, in other
words, Britain has declared that it no
longer accepts responsibility, for the future
of the Holy Land. 1t will accept it only in
the sense of agreeing to put into effect
any United Nations decision not opposed
by the Arabs or Jews. Otherwise, If the
decision is not acceptable to both sides,
some alternative authority" will have to
impose it-that is, the U. N. itself will
have to impose it, with the British re-
serving the right to decide whether or not
to take part in the enforcement action.
Moreover although Mr.. CreechJones has
not explained just what time element is
involved in the plan for an early with
his country proposes to abandon Palestine
whether or not there is peaceful settlement.
The reasonableness of this newly defined
position is scarcely open to debate. Brit
ain has been lectured for years by outside
powers on how to handle the division be-
tween the Arabs and Jews, but those
powers-notably our own-have been
singularly silent and aloof whenever it
has been suggested that they might have
to lend armed help to enforce their pro-
posed solutions" The truth is that there
is no easy solution and that is why the
problem is at last before the United
Nations
How difficult the situation is, how it
defes all the impartial international wis
dom that can be arrayed against it, is
clear from the reaction to the painstaking
proposals made by the Special U. N. Pal
estine Committee. The majority plan is
acceptable to the Jews, but the minority
one is not, and both are violently opposed
by the Arabs. Unless these two groups
can be prevailed upon to forget their pas
sions and compromise their differences,
the best possible solution will almost Ger
tainly have to be imposed with force if 1t
is to take effect at ALL
With Britain proposing to withdraw,
with or without settlement, a strate-
gically crucial part of the world thus can
become the scene of peace -shattering vio-
lence. The challenge implicit in this is
one of the severest confronting the United
Nations. The time has passed when it can
be lodged simply by heaping abuse on the
British. They refuse to stand alone any
longer between the devil and the deep blue
sea. The U. N. must now stand there with
them and be primarily responsible for
finding way out.