Investigation has failed to produce conclusive proof against recent illegal immigrants being held in Palestine as Nazi espionage suspects, Colonial Secretary Malcolm MacDonald admitted in the House of Commons last night.
MacDonald said, however, that on the basis of evidence he had seen he was “entirely in accord” with the action taken by High Commissioner Sir Harold Alfred MacMichael in detaining the suspects.
Since under the present circumstances it might not always be possible to obtain conclusive proof, he declared, the “benefit of the doubt should be given to the State.”
Asked why the Government had not accepted an offer by Jewish organizations to assist in the prevention of entry of German agents, MacDonald said: “I am unaware of that, but I am certain that if any offers of help had been made those offers would have been accepted.”
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
