Britain Reported Aiming to Press White Paper Policy

The British Government intends to proceed with implementation of the Palestine White Paper to a degree not anticipated by Zionist leaders because of the war, it was reported today. This was believed to be the reason for the sudden airplane trip to London of David Ben Gurion, chairman of the Jewish Agency Executive in Jerusalem.

Jewish Agency circles here connected Ben Gurion’s visit primarily with the combating of the Government’s decision banning Jewish immigration for six months, from October to next March, although an immigration schedule for non-Jews was issued, and also the refusal of the authorities to transfer certificates from the last Jewish schedule which were not used by recipients stranded in Europe by the war.

Jewish quarters here have not received any suggestion that legislation to implement the constitutional clauses of Britain’s Palestine policy, providing for eventual establishment of an independent state with a one-third Jewish minority, will be introduced soon and have been given to understand that the Government is not dealing with the ex-Mufti of Jerusalem, Arab extremist leader, who recently announced acceptance of the policy.

Important developments were anticipated, however, in view of the speech on Palestine yesterday by ex-Premier Nuri Pasha es-Said of Iraq, who declared in Baghdad that as soon as the immigration question was settled Britain would find no difficulty in establishing an independent state in Palestine. Nuri Pasha is meeting Ali Maher Pasha, chief of the Egyptian Cabinet, in Cairo in regard to Palestine.