Britain Will Do Nothing on Palestine Until Report is Studied, Says Macdonald

Until the British government had time to study the report of the Palestine Inquiry Commission he is in no position to say what further measures would be taken with regard to Palestine, declared Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald today in the House of Commons, replying to a question from Wardlaw Milne, Conservative M.P., as to whether apart from any decision that might result from the Inquiry the Premier proposed to appoint a Royal Commission to consider the future government of Palestine, the position of Great Britain under the Mandate and the measures which it may be necessary to take in view of the Balfour Declaration.

This question arose during a discussion on the publication of the Commission’s report. Ormsby Gore inquired of the Colonial Minister whether copies of the report would be dispatched to Palestine, whether arrangements had been made for simultaneous publication in Palestine and London, whether in view of the approach of the religious festivals (Passover and Easter) the Colonial Office would consult with the High Commissioner for the most suitable date of publication and whether the publication of the report would be accompanied by a statement of the government’s policy in Palestine regarding all of the questions raised by the report.

W. Lunn, parliamentary secretary for the Colonial Ministry, replied that copies had been sent to the High Commissioner of Palestine whom the Colonial Office proposed to consult regarding the question of publication but it was not yet clear whether simultaneous publication in London and Palestine was practicable.