Evening star., 1948-03-14

The solution involves four steps.
The partition recommendation
was obviously based upon convic-
ton by the United Nations and the
United States that both Arabs and
zionists would more or less peace
ably accept such a conclusion to
the discussion. Any other assump-
ton must necessarily imply that
the United Nations was seeking
bloodshed rather than the peace
which it was designed to insure.
But it has become painfully 7evi-
dent that the assumption was mis-
taken. the conviction in error. Gen
eral Assembly reconsideration of
the partition recommendation on
these grounds is step number one.
Steps Three and Four
Step number two involves refer
ence to the World Court of the dis
puted question concerning the legal
right of the United Nations to par
tition any country in direct opposi-
ton to the obvious wishes of the
majority of the inhabitants. Such
reference failed earlier by one vote
to pass in committee, and that fail
ure was directly attributable to a
parliamentary error on the part of
its secretary. He called for what
proved to be the deciding vote of
the presiding nation, Australia, in
Its alphabetical order rather than
in last place as was proper under
the circumstances. Australia's early
mo" would, under committee pro-
cedure, almost certainly have been
an abstention had Delegate Evatt
known that his vote would make the
final score, 21-20. The question
would then have been referred to
the plenary session Of the Assembly,
where reference to the court would
most probably have been voted.
Pending decision by the court on
this vital question and others allied
to it, the third step should be to
establish Palestine as United Ma
tions trusteeship, freezing the status
quo under United Nations control in
place of the British mandate. This
would permit time for the United
Nations controlling organization to
study deeply and at leisure all the
factors which must be considered in
any just and lasting determination
of the national status of Palestine.
Such trusteeship would, moreover,
afford opportunity for an appro-
pirate organ Of the United Nations
to endeavor to exercise that
fundamental function for which the
U. N. organization was created,
namely, to achieve a pacific settle
ment through conciliation of the
disputing parties.
Humane Factor Lacking
An essential fourth step, which
should be taken simultaneously with
these other actions. would be to open
Immediately the doors of members
of the United Nations to immigra-
tion of displaced Jews, in whatever
proportions the member nations can
accept. So far as the United States
is concerned, the Stratton bill should
be passed without further delay.
Within the limits Of agreed quotas
a technique of establishing and
permitting preferences of destina-
ton among the immigrants should
be worked out Thus the problem
of the displaced European Jew
would be placed in its proper con-
text as world problem rather than
as simply constituent factor
adding complexity to the puzzle of
Palestine.
In the light of humane principle
three considerations pertinent to
partition Immediately present them
selves. First, the living space in
Palestine in which refuge was sup
posedly to be found for at least half
q million additional Jews was cut
to an area with about half the size
and nearly three times the popula-
tion OF the State of Vermont.
Second, the acceptable living space
for the 100000 Arabs now living
In Palestine was also approximately