Evening star., 1948-07-04
Resumption Of War
Seen as Bernadotte
Confers With Arabs
By the Assoeiotsd Press

BY the Assoeiotsd Press
CAIRO, July 3.-Count Folke
Bernadotte, United Nations me-
diator for Palestine, met with
Arab leaders for nearly four
hours tonight, presumably to
discuss the Arab Leagues coun-
terproposals to his recommenda-
tions for peace in the Holy Land.
One high Arab ofiicial predicted
Palestine warfare would resume.
All the Swedish count would say
as he left the meeting was: Eve
have agreed to say nothing tonight" ;"
Arab League sources have reported
that the seven-member bloc OF
countries has rejected. Count Berna-
dotte's proposals for ending tthe
Arab-Jewish war.
Discussions Ended.
Riad el Solh Bey, Prime Minister
of Lebanon, said as he left tonight's
conference: Apparently there will
be no further discussion with Count
Bernadotte.
Asked about reports that King
Abdullah of Trans-Jordan had said
the Arabs had rejected the proposals
and would resume fighting, the
Lebanese premier said:
"If King Abdullah said so, it will
be So"
The Arab League reply to Count
Bernadotte's recommendations was
handed to the mediator shortly
after his arrival in Carlo. 1t was
not made public.
Abdel Monein Moustafa bey. a
League spokesman, said of the
Leagues reply:
1T is very long reply and con-
tains counter proposals.
Count Bernadotte said, following
tonights meeting, that he would re-
turn to his headquarters on the
Greek island of Rhodes tomorrow
morning.
Asked whether he would visit Tel
Aviv, capital of Israel, he replied
that when he reached Rhodes he
expected to find a message from
Tel Aviv awaiting him.
Counterproposal Seen.
Neutral diplomatic sources in
Cairo said they believed it was al
most a certainty that Israel would
object to some of Count Bernadotte's
suggestions and offer a set of Jewish
counterproposals.
Among the Arab leaders who con-
ferred with the mediator tonight
were: Mahmoud FANNY Nokraski
Pasha, prime minister of Egypt;
TWefik ell Huda Pasha. prime minis
ter of Trans-Jordan. and Abdel
Rahman Azzam Pasha. secretary
general of the Arab League.
The mediator was accompanied
by Dr.. Ralph j. Bunche, secretary
of the U. N. Palestine Commission,
and three other assistants.
Count Bernadotte drew up his
proposals for a settlement after
effecting a four week truce in Pal
estine fighting. The truce expires
July 8.
The Swedish count said whether
he asks extension of the truce will
depend on meetings with both Jews
and Arabs.
He added that in certain circum-
stances" he might ask for a truce
extension, but that at present he
would have ''to work fast
Fighting Resumption Seen.
In Bagdad, Sadiq Albassam, Iraqi
minister of defense, predicted re-
sumption Of Palestine fighting. In
a statement to newsmen he said /:
1--WE do not accept any partition
of Palestine and will never agree
to creation of Jewish state as at
tempted therein. We have plan
from which we will never deviate,
and which we will carry out"
But Count Bernadotte made it
clear that his peace proposals are
only a basis for further discussions.
He would not say what he planned
to do If both Jews and Arabs turn
down his proposals.
The Arab reply was drafted after
"a meeting of the Arab League po-
litical committee in Cairo. -Four
Palestine Arabs met with the COM
mittee for the first time since it
convened to discuss Count Berna-
dotte's peace plan.
So far Count Bernadotte's pro-
posals have not been made public,
but a United Nations spokesman In
Lake Success said they would be
released tomorrow at pm. E.D.TD
Normal Campaigning Pledged.
In Tel Aviv a spokesman for 1r-
gun Zvai Leumi, strongest dissident
group in Palestine. said 1t will con-
tinue under arms only in Jerusa-