Evening star., 1948-04-05
@,-s Letters to The Star
The Effect of Palestine Partition

LCllCIS lC
The Effect of Palestine Partition
To ths Editor Of Ihs star:
The announcement BY Senator Austin ON
March 10 that the United States Government
would no longer support . policy Of the parti-
tion Of Palestine is an important one Il raises
IN the minds Of many American citizens again
the basic question whether this new decision
not to support the Palestine partition l. sound
and In the best interests Of the American
people. Admittedly the question is complicated
and one on which sincere individuals may
differ.
As I have just returned from eight weeks
travel through all Middle East countries can
summarize, for the benefit Of those studying
this issue. the effects Of the partition policy
as found them in that area They are as
follows:
l. Instead Of brief and Intellectual opposi-
ton by Arabs TO partition, as was predicted
by zionists, there Is In Palestine today full
scale civil war. Thus far over LOO individuals
have been killed since the United Nations vote
Of November 70. i947, with no prospect ahead
except increasing hloodshed. In other words,
this vote has brought war, not peace, to this
country and each day shows m increase in the
tempo OF conflict The heaviest fighting Is not
expected to break out. in its most violent form,
until after the withdrawal Of British troops,
which has already begun but which. under
present schedule. viii not be completed until
July 81, 1s4s.
2. Every visitor to the Middle East can certify
to the increased antagonism to the United
States on the part Of the Arab people both
Moslem and Christian. living in the seven states
which compose the Arab League. They have
been holding ut least some Of their tire In the
hope that the United States Government would
recognize Its error and not aid In implementing
partition. However, had the United States
taken further active measures to furnish this
aid, oil American activities in the Middle East
would have been seriously affected or completely
closed down. This would have applied to
American educational. missionary and cultural
activities, to q continued refusal to approve
pending oil pipeline agreements and to the
cancellation Of existing oil concessioas.
There has been talk of q Holy War. but in my
opinion this is now not likely to materialize
However, there is no question that at least
passive antagonism to the United States has
been developing among the 900 Mos,ems
outside Of the Middle East, who live between
Casablanca and Canton.
Csmmanists Through the Back Door,
,. In the opinion OF many leaders in the
Middle East, the United States, by its vote for
Palestine partition, has already undermined
its own efforts to prevent, the spread Of Com
mun!st control beyond its present frontiers.
1t seems very clear to people, especially in
Turkey, that In supporting partition We opened
back door for Communist intiltration through
Palestine into the Arab world ut the very time
when we were spending millions of dollars to
close the front doors through Turkey and
Ia @Aewra fhrna Tea
All countries bordering on Russia have been
seriously shaken in their confidence in the
continuity Of any American support or in the
consistency Of any American policies or
promises.
1t has been reported on high authority
which can confirm, that the value of the
United States loan to Turkey was perhaps
halved overnight by Americas United Nations
vote last November to partition Palestine
The Turks hold no brief for the Arabs Of
Palestine, but the American vote on this issue
indicated to Turkish minds either incompre-
hensible inconsistency or q foolishly naive
! ignorance of Russian intentions. Neither con-
clusion can be considered particularly fatter-
ing to the United States Government.
4. It Is generally known that the acrimonious
attacks by our United Nations delegates on
the British and their Palestine policy. since
1t differed from ours, did not help to keep
close and friendly relations with Great Britain.
Furthermore, American newspapers support
ing the Zionists have used the differences
between British and American policy on this
issue to drive a wedge between public opinion
in the two countries. Since, to many of us,
Anglo-American cooperation is absolutely
essential to the maintenance OF world peace,
these continued attacks are most unfortunate
5. Many Americans. including some OF our
highest Government officials who accepted
the Zionist thesis that the Arabs would readily
agree to partition, did not realize that the
implementing of partition was certain to stop
the fiow OF Middle East oil, which is counted
on to supply at least SO per cent, of the
Marshall Plan petroleum requirements of
Western Europe. This fact, In turn, furnishes
the clue to the real reason for Russian sup
port of partition. It was Russia's expectation
that in SO voting she was increasing chaos in
the Middle East and thus striking a most
effective blow 1T ERP,, which Russia Is most
anxious to see fail.
Effect Of Partition In Our Own Land.
8. 1t Is certain, rs mentioned above that
had the United States actively aided in i'm
plementing partition, American economic,
industrial, cultural and religious activities In
the Middle East would have suffered This
would not have been pleasing to many Ameri-
can citizens who are interested in or who
support these activities Such 4 situation,
especially If coupled with the killing Of Ameri-
can troops used to establish and maintain
Jewish state in Palestine. would have been
most likely to lead to m increase OF anti
semitism. in this country. Certainly, many
American citizens Of Jewish descent who are
not zionists, are stiN most fearful that the
establishment of Zionist State win make
all American Jews suspect Of = divided loyalty.
Certainly this policy Of partition, which con-
sciolsly increased racial and religious antag-
onfsnlS in the United States "a that extent