Evening star., 1948-06-05

big money themselves? After all, this is
| America
| would like to know the answer to this
| question. e. H. ALEXANDER.
Americas Errors in Palestine
| To the Editor Of The STAR
am addressing this letter to The Star,
because it has shown impartiality in presenting
both sides Of the Palestine problem, which If
| not fully understood and met Il likely to
lead to another war.
Now that the United States has been pre-
cipitated Into the maelstrom Of world politics,
1t would seem about time that the people Of
this country should educate themselves before
giving blind advice Is to the solution Of prob
lens Of which most Of them have little UNDER
standing.
How many in the United States are familiar
with the text Of the Balfour Declaration to
which the present chaos in Palestine, threat
ening the peace Of the entire world, can be
traced? As q matter Of fact, its proposal to
establish q home for the Jews in Palestine
really was only beau geste" in return for
Jewish assistance at critical moment in the
First World War-specincally in recognition of
DR.. Wei1nann's turning over to Britain his
discovery Of synthetic acetone when that coun-
try was on the verge Of running out of explo-
| sives.
But to return to the Declaration Of 1917 and
its initial paragraph whereby q homeland for
the Jews was to be established in Palestine; this
proposal has been given wide publicity. 1t how
ever was but preface to the text that followed
For some reason the following paragraph gen.
orally has been completely ignored. II states
specifically that in establishing Jewish home
Ss noI~ &s,aAs A~ AZ
that nothing shall be done which may preju-
dice civil and religious rights Of non-Jewish
communities" This obviously refers to the
Arab population, comprising some ntne-tenths
Of the entire population. 1t also is open to
question why the proposal for establishing q
national homeland in Palestine now should be
interpreted as equivalent to making Palestine
into political Jewish state.
How many Americans know the grounds on
which "the rights" of the Jews in Palestine are
based? It is alleged that over 1000 years ago
they lived in that country. But during all of
the period following they have held no direct
authority there, whereas the Arabs were in
Palestine not only before the period Of Jewish
control, but for centuries after were in unin-
terrupted occupation. According to the Jewish
logic, the Indians who occupied the American
continent long before Columbus would be en-
titled to assume control over the United States
assuming, Of course, that they were able to
secure military backing and the support Of
powerful outside governments.
What has so prejudiced and perverted the
sense Of justice and fair play on the part Of
Americans that we should uphold the claims
of a small minority whose obvious intention is
to force unlimited immigration into Palestine
and then by steady pressure finally obtain con-
troll of fto Drio 20 and f1> no1f
Declaration many Jews lived side by side with
the Arabs without thought Of political control.
Even now the Arabs state their willingness to
accept their fair quota Of Jewish refugees, only
asking that the far less heavily populated and
richer countries of the West also take their fair
share.
The issue over Palestine now has extended
so far and become 80 involved with other and
more acute problems that the initial cause Of
the chaos and confusion, the Balfour Declara-
tion has been bypassed by the public and for
gotten.
It cannot be denied that the United States
Government has failed lamentably in its han
ding Of the Palestine problem. For q moment
a distracted world turned to us for leadership
with the belief that we would rise above poll
tics and personal interests. Such an opportu-
nifty is not likely to come to us again. Not only
have we forfeited the friendship of the Middle
East, but we have lost prestige with the nations
Of the West. BY our vacillations and inepti-
tudes as q member of the United Nations We
have dealt = body blow to that institution.
Let us hope that 1t Is not too late to retrace
our steps and 80 prevent another and more
deadly war. But we should remember that in
the affairs Of nations as well as in those Of
men: There is tide which taken at the flood
leads on to fortune-omitted all the way of
life is bound in shadows and in miseries; .
we must take the current when it serves or lose
our ventures" INTERNATIONALLY
Why Greek Reds Were Executed
To the Editor Of The Star:
In letter under the title imperialism ir
Greece" published May 20, the writer, Costas
Alexion, draws some conclusions which are
totally unfounded.
O The crime for which 152 were shot In
one day in Greece was not that "they took part
in an uprising, fighting for freedom" The
uprising Of December, 1874, was the work Of q