U.S. Move to Bar Jews and Arabs from Discussing “substance” of Issue Beaten at U.N.

An attempt by the American delegation to bar Jews and Arabs from discussing the “substance” of the Palestine question before the Political Committee was defeated tonight when a U.S. resolution, as amended by France, was defeated 23 to 19. The Soviet bloc, a large section of the Latin-American delegations, China and India voted against the resolution.

After conclusion of the committee session, the U.S. delegation distributed the text of a resolution on the composition and terms of reference of the fact-finding body which it will submit to the committee.

The members of the probe group suggested by the U.S. are: Canada, Czechoslovakia, Iran, Netherlands, Peru, Sweden and Uruguay.

The terms of reference of the committee, under the U.S. resolution, would be as follows:

“To assemble, analyze and collate all pertinent data on the Palestine question; to receive testimony from interested governments, from such non-government organizations and individuals as the committee, in its discretion, may deem appropriate; to study the various issues which are involved and submit to the next regular session of the General Assembly such proposals for the solution of the problem of Palestine as it may determine to be useful for effective consideration of the problem by the General Assembly.

“To authorize the committee, in consultation with the Secretary-General, with a view to assuring adequate administrative services, to sit wherever it may consider necessary or desirable for fulfillment of its functions.” The resolution also asks the Mandatory and other governments to give the committee any information it requires.

ARGENTINA WANTS 11-MAN INQUIRY COMMITTEE INCLUDING BIG FIVE

The Argentine delegation also made public the text of its recommendations on the fact-finding committee. It wants an 11-man committee consisting of the Big Five, one of the Arab states, three states from the American continent other than the U.S., one from among Australia, New Zealand or the Philippine Republic, and one from the states on the African continent — if Egypt is not chosen by lot to represent the Arab states — or one from the continent of Asia, if Egypt is the Arab representative.

The terms of reference recommended by the Argentine delegation were as follows: “The investigating committee shall have the widest powers both to record facts and to make recommendations. It shall hear the United Kingdom as the Mandatory Power and al? one representative of the Arabs resident in Palestine, one representative of the Jews resident in Palestine and one representative of the Jewish Agency. The investisting committee shall conclude its work no later than September 1.” (See earlier story on following pages)