Possible American Reaction to Transjordan Independence Arouses Interest in London

There is keen interest in various circles here concerning possible American and Russian reaction to Britain’s granting independence to Transjordan.

The Manchester Guardian commenting on the treaty, which was signed on Friday, predicts that there will be both approval and opposition by the other great powers. The article quotes from the memoirs of Emir Abdullah, ruler of Transjordan, to prove that he does not believe in Arab unity.

The London Times, in an editorial yesterday, avoided any mention of the Jewish aspect of the issue. It emphasized that the ceremony in the Foreign Office which marked the signing of the treaty was largely recognition of an accomplished fact. The editorial praised Emir Abdullah’s achievements.

The Board of Deputies of British Jews today adopted a resolution describing the granting of independence to Transjordan as “a unilateral abandonment of the obligations of the Mandatory under the Mandate, as far as three-quarters of the territory of Palestine is concerned, and a breach of Article 80 of the UNO charter,” which provides that until trusteeship arrangements are entered into, the existing international instruments to which UNO members may be parties remain unaltered. The resolution also says that the Board affirms the Jewish peoples’ legal claim to the whole of Palestine.

A.L. Easterman, political secretary of the World Jewish Congress, presenting the report of the Board’s Palestine Committee, attacked the failure of the Colonial Office to reply to the Deputies’ representations on Transjordan as a “grave discourtesy.” He said that further action on the issue was planned.