Evening star., 1948-06-06


sought palliatives rather than a
real solution. They have pointed
out to us that in view of the Arabs
determined opposition to creation
of a sovereign Jewish State in Pal
estine, it would be difficult to en-
force any decision without Ameri-
can and British force.
British Had the Troops
We made it clear that the United
States was neither disposed nor
able to employ military measures in
the Middle East. During the war
we had no surplus manpower for
such purposes and Gen. Marshall,
then Army Chief Of Staff, explained
this to the House Foreign Affairs
Committee as far back as the spring
of 1914. Since the war the pulveri-
zation OF American military strength
has been so rapid that today we
are in even less of position to
compel partition Of Palestine by the
use of American troops.
The British, on the other hand,
had sufficient troops during the war
to impose their will on the Arabs.
At one time there were nearly 200,-
600 well-trained and well-equipped
British troops in that area. But
the British government-and par
ticularly the Labor administration
while willing to abandon large por-
tions of the empire, was determined
to hold onto the Middle East. It's
oil resources are so vitally impor-
tant to the trump empire" that no
British government, regardless of
how far to the left it may be, could
accept that sacrifice.
The British know we'll the men
tality of the Arab leaders and
people. They warned us in time
that creating a Jewish state and
attempting to coerce the Arabs to
accept, without show of force.
would result in a coalition of the
various Arab leaders, W. II the
British long had kept at logger
heads. They also pointed out that
half measures would result only in
confusion, which would be detri-
mental not only to the interests
Of Great Britain, but to those OF
the whole western world.
Presidents Advisers Wrong
Until the fall of 1916 we main
tanned the attitude that things
would take care of themselves in
Palestine. We made off-the-record
statements to the British and to
the Arabs that the creation Of a
Jewish state would be a slow
process and that we would not rush
into any policy which might threat
en- the balance in the Middle East.
At the same time politicos In
this country, who were on a vote
hunt, made different promises to
the Zionist leaders. They seemed
to assume that the Jewish leaders
would not take literally political
promises to create a Jewish state
in the near future.
Some OF the men who prompted
President Truman to make rash
statements between the fall Of 1916
and last month believed that the
American Zionists would realize
that in the present precarious in
ternational situation our own ma
tional interests would suffer by Gre
ating a chaotic situation in the
Middle East.
White House counselors were
mistaken. The Zionist leaders ir
this country decided that they
would no longer provide a political
football and by energetic agitation
open and covert-convinced the
policy makers that unless a Jewish
state was created, and Immediately
recognized by the United States, the
administration would lose the votes
of millions of Americans of Jewish
faith.
As a result the administration
exerted more than its moral influ.
ence in the United Nations to OBJ
tain a favorable vote for the part1-
ton of Palestine. The Genera
Assembly under normal circum.
stances would have tabled the pro-
posal.
Wishful Thinking
During the last three months oi
its mandate Britain offered no con-
structive solution. 1t sulked and
announced that after the mandate
expired May IS it no longer would
have any responsibility for. Palestine
British policy during this time could
be summed up in the words: Let
the Americans stew in their own
juice"
AS in other matters of foreign
relations the administration was
thinking wishfully on Palestine
First it believed that somehow OF
other the problem would take care
Of itself, and believed that the
Arabs were putting up a typical
Oriental bluff. Later, when reports
about military concentrations began
to reach Washington, the Zionists
statements that their forces could
take care of any emergency. and
that Hagana and the other Jewish
fighting groups could defeat the
Arabs, were accepted at face value,
ALI indications to the contrary were
brushed aside as simply Arab propa-
ganda.
Since the proclamation OF the
State of Israel on May IA, however,
an actual state of war has de-
veloped in the Middle East. Con-
trary to the hopes Of civilians In
the American Government, the Arab
League shows unity and It's military