Evening star., 1947-02-15
Britain S Plan 10 Take
Palestine Issue Before
III. n. Due Next Week
BY the Associofsd "rsss

BY the Asseeiofsd 'rsss
LONDON, Feb. l5.-Britain's
plan for bringing the Palestine
question before the United Ma
tions is expected to be made
known next week, informed OBJ
servers said today.
Foreign Secretary Ernest Bevin
and Colonial Secretary Arthur
Creech Jones are to report in the
House of Commons then on their
latest deadlocked negotiations with
Holy Land Arabs and Jews, last of
series begun in September.
Mr.. Bevin's announcement on the
issue yesterday said only that since
no proposals put forward by his
majesty's government had proved
acceptable as basis for further dis
cussion, his majesty's government
had decided to refer the whole prob
lem to the United Nations"
Problem Before Council.
Under the U. N. Charter, Britain
might lay the problem before the
Security Council on the grounds of
Palestine's being a strategic area or
a threat to peace: Might ask the
secretary general to call a special
General Assembly session with the
argument that the situation was
likely to impair friendly relations
among nations, or might submit a
trust agreement on Palestine to the
Assembly, now not scheduled to meet
till September. A Foreign Office
spokesman hinted at the second
course.
DR.. Jamal Husseini, leader of the
Palestine Arab delegation here, said
Palestine Arabs will not consider
any United Nations decision as ar
bitrary-we will only be bound by
our rights and continue fighting
until we get them"
Moshe Shertok, Jewish Agency
political chief and recent consul
tant with the British, said the
Jews had no objections to the
u. MS settling the issue but would
insist that Britain lift its restric-
tion on Jewish immigration into
Palestine while the question was
being handled in the U. N.
Consideration Expected.
In Jerusalem, one Jew said he
expected to get from the U. N. "the
consideration we have not been
able to get from the British"
Another predicted what he termed
"the usual brushoff," since Arabs
already have representation in the
U. N, we have none"
The influential Times of London,
said that in the U. N. "the Arabs
will find themselves in strong
position"
The Times, referring to the Zion
lists, said that 'in their present
mood of hostility to Britain, they
seem to have forgotten that while
this country is bound by the Bal
four Declaration, the United States
is not"
The 1917 declaration of Lord Bal
four, then British Foreign Secre-
tary, put Britain on record in favor
of national home" for Jews in
Palestine with the proviso that
rights of other inhabitants be pro-
tected.
U. N. Sympathy Seen.
Being specifically pledged to pro-
mote the independence OF small
nations now under tutelage, the
United Nations is likely to sympa-
thize strongly with the Arab de-
mand that Palestine shall be given
independence forwith on the basis
of the existing population" the
Times continued, land this demand
will be supported by the votes OF
all the eastern members and
by those powers who contend that
the influence Of the British Com
extends too widely over
the earth'S surface"
Palestine, governed by Britain
under a 1923 League of Nations
mandate, now has population
that includes some 100000 Jews and
more than 100000 Arabs. It has
served the British as a Middle East
ern base. a guardian Of ship lanes
to the East and an airline way
station.
Government sources indicated
that Britain for the present would
keep in Palestine the 100000 troops
she now has there, maintain cur
rent security measures and the
present 1,500-a-month limit on
Jewish immigration.
Under the latest proposals rejected
by Arabs and Jews, the Holy Land
would have been divided into semi
autonomous Arab and Jewish areas
with the British retaining overall
control, and 1000 Jews would have
been admitted monthly for the next
two years.