Evening star., 1947-04-29
PaIestineProbe
Proposal Placed
On U. n. Agenda
Brituin Wins Initial
OK. for Committee
Of Foct-Finders
BY the Asseeioted Press

NEW YORK, April 29.-Britain
won initial approval for setting
up a Palestine fact-flnding COM
mittee today after declaring she
could not be expected to "expend
blood and treasure single
handed" to carry out United Ma
tions recommendations on the
future Of tie Holy Land.
The 14-Nation Stering Commit
tee of the United Nation Assembly's
Palestine session agreed without q
formal vote to place the British pro-
posal on tie agenda.
Action was deferred until this
afternoon on the Arab proposal to
add an item calling for immediate
Palestine independence.
Mahmoud Hassan Pasha, Egyp-
tian delegate representing the Arab
states, objected to inclusion OF the
British item on the agenda, but did
not challenge the announcement OF
Assembly President Oswaldo Aranha
that the item was approved.
SAuO6dh LApfCoSOS FiS"S'
Britain's statement on her atti-
tune toward possible Assembly rec
ommendation was given by Sir Alex
ander Cadogan when India chal-
lenged him to give assurance that
Britain would abide by United Ma
ton decisions on Palestine.
The delegates recessed until 3 pm.
tEST) after an hour and one-half
session highlighted by the British
Indian wrangle which was joined
by several other delegates including
Russia.
The exchange took place shortly
after the Assembly's Steering Com
mittee met to decide whether the
extraordinary session should be
broadened to include consideration
of Arab demands for immediate
Palestine independence.
Egypt Demands Action.
Egypt then plunged into the con-
troversy and demanded that the
committee act on the Arab demands
either before or along with Britain's S
proposal for. creation of the fact
finding committee to report back on
the Palestine question at the Sep |
tember meeting of the Assembly.
Mr.. Aranha ruled, however, that |
the British proposal should be taken
up first.
Indian Delegate Asaf Ali, taking
the floor as the Steering Commit
tee began debating the Assembly's
agenda, challenged Cadogan to clar-
ify Britains position before any &C
ton was taken.
The Indian demand was backed by
Andrei A. Gromyko Of Russia and
Hassan Pasha, despite ruling by
Mr.. Aranha holding that the issue
should not be brought up in the
committee but in the Assembly it
self
Will Amplify British Position.
Cadogan read statement by
Lord Hall in the House of Lords
last week which said: Il shouldn't
imagine Britain carrying out a pol
Icy which they thought wrong
Cadogan said he would amplify the
British position in the next day or
two In the Assembly.
Ali said. however. that the ques-
tion asked has not been answered
satisfactorily" He added: ut ap-
pears. If Lord Halls statement is
taken as Cadogan says. it does not
mean that Britain will not accept
the United Nations decision, but
there seems distinction. It would
be a sheer waste of time to consider
the British proposal if they are
not going to abide by the U. N.
decision. We should know the
British answer before we place the
item on the agenda."
Reply by Cadogan.
Cadogan finally gave this reply:
ANY recommendation or decision
taken by the Assembly may have to
be enforced. We can't see how we
should be expected to carry out
decision single handed, how we
would be expected to expend blood
and treasure single-handed. L
Hassan Pasha then demanded
that the committee take up i'm
mediately the Arab proposal for
consideration of Palestine indie
pendence
I believe that the Arab proposal
Ia more concrete than the British
proposal" he said. It ask for con-
sideration of our proposal at the
same time, If not before"
AS the important session began.
Faris el Khoury. chief Syrian dele
gate, expressed confidence that the
committee would approve the Arab
proposal to add this question to the
agenda.
The Arabs, however. were faced
With powerful opposition from the
United States, Britain and China,
who already had expressed the view
that the session should be confined
to the British proposal to create a
act-finding committee which would