Evening star., 1948-11-07
Steadier U. 5. Policy
On Israel Forecast
As Result Of Election
BY the Assoeioisi Press

State Department rowing over Pal
estine policy-now that the election
is over.
As result they expect from here
on steadier course for American
relations with the new Jewish state
of Israel and with Arab lands
both in and. out of the United Ma
tions.
But even as the President puts
his own post-election house in or
der. evidence appears that there
may be more trouble ahead with
the British on Holy Land issues
Britain, with vital Near East in
terests and with little or no internal
Jewish political force, has always
pursued more pro-Arab line than
the United States, particularly the
White House, has been willing to
follow.
Also, it seems that the apparent
return of White House-State De-
partment cooperation in this field
of foreign policy-the only one that
was very much involved in the
presidential campaign - has not
come soon enough to forestall much
hard feeling between White House
officials and Undersecretary of State
Lovett.
Lovett Seen Leaving.
Some of the Presidents advisers
have indicated that when Mr.. Low
ett submits his resignation along
with all other top administration
officials, MI. Truman will make no
effort to persuade him to remain In
office. Other informants say; how
ever, that the whole affair has been
exaggerated and that the President
likes Mr. Lovett. Mr.. Lovett called
on Mr.. Truman yesterday. He had
disapproved of some of the Presi-
dents Palestine moves during the
months before election. Recently at
news conference some of Mr.. tov-
ett's comments were interpreted as
casting doubt on whether one of the
Presidents prediction statements
on Palestine was cleared with the
State Department-even though Mr..
Truman's spokesmen had already
announced it had been fully cleared.
A new angle of the Palestine prob
lem which is expected to get more
and more attention is the relation
ship between what is going on in
Palestine and the interests of the
Western nations in the cold war
with Russia. Many months ago this
took the form of worry that if the
United States supported the Jewish
homeland drive. Too strongly, the
Russians would gain friends in the
Arab world. This did not happen,
possibility due in part to % the
fact that the Arabs don't like COM
m,lnism and 90 Britain pro-Arab
policy.
Worry Reversed.
Now the worry is becoming some
what reversed. State Department
officials seem convinced that gun
running to Israel through Czecho-
slovakio represents a Russian-back
effort to win influence for the East
ern Europeon Communist block in
the straitegically placed new State.
Some authorities here think this
challenge has to be met. But none
in the State Department is willing
either to violate q United Nations
voluntary ban on arms exports to
the Middle East or to risk any avoid
able new trouble with the Arab
group of nations.
Mr.. Truman actually is understood
to have made his first move to re-
store American government unity
in handling Palestine problems a
few days prior to the election. At
that time, he Is supposed to have
sent directive to Secretary of State
Marshall at Paris forbidding any
new policy development on Palestine
until 1t had been cleared with the
White House.
Resolution Amended.
At that time a resolution was
pending, apparently with some
American delegation support, to
raise the threat of economic sane
tions for violations of the U. N. truce
in Palestine. In view of recent fight
ing in the Negeb Desert area this
would have been a blow most di-
rectly at Israel.
The first effect of the Presidents
action was to bring suspension of
action on the resolution until after
the American election was held
Once Mr. Truman was reelected the
American U. N. delegation had the
resolution amended in a manner
which officials were considered more
favorable to the Israeli government.
although still holding a threat of
sanctions for alleged truce viola
tions. The statement asking the