Zionist Actions Committee Postpones Decision on London Conference Until Sunday

Following a five-hour closed session today at which members of the Jewish Agency executive back from Paris reported on the present situation with regard to the British invitation to the forthcoming London conference on Palestine, the Small Zionist Actions Committee, which will decide whether leaders of the Jewish Agency should attend the conference, adjourned its meeting until Sunday.

It is expected that the Actions Committee will adopt a decision by Sunday evening after a prolonged discussion. In the meantime, it confirmed the appointment of Mrs. Goldie McKesson American-born 48-year-old leader of the Histadruth, as acting head of the political department of the Jewish Agency “in the absence of Moshe Shertok” who is now held in the Latrun detention camp with other members of the Agency’s executive.

The Arab Higher Committee is meeting here tomorrow to consider the refusal of the British Government to admit the ex-Mufti to the London talks. Dr. Husseini Khalidi, secretary of the committee, today said that it was certain that the meeting will reject participation of Palestine Arabs. He also disclosed the terms on which the Arabs were invited to attend the conference. These terms, as quoted from an official letter sent the Committee by the Palestine Government, are:

1. “The proposals recently outlined by His Majesty’s Government will be laid before the conference as the first subject on the agenda, 2. Every delegate will, however, have every liberty to propose modifications in outline of the plan as announced by His Majesty’s Government, or to advance counter proposals. His Majesty’s Government intend to explore every possibility of reaching a just settlement and will give careful consideration to all suggestions made to them in the course of the conference,” the letter concluded.

A Jewish Communist group today addressed a letter to the Jewish National Council of Palestine urging that the Assefath Hanivcharim, the Palestine Jewish Assembly, be convened to deal with the question of participation in the London conference. The letter also suggested that the Assembly appeal to the United Nations Security Council against British actions in Palestine.