British Cabinet Body to Study Majority and Minority Reports of U.N. Palestine Committee

A special sub-committee of the British Cabinet will shortly begin a careful study of the majority and minority reports of the United Nations Special Committee on Palestine, it was learned here today. The sub-committee they include Foreign Secretary Bevin and A.A. Alexander, Minister for Defense.

Upon completion of the study, the sub-committee will report to a full session of the Cabinet which will decide on the policy to be adopted by the British delegation at the United Nations Assembly. Unofficial exchanges of views with the State Department in Washington will follow the Cabinet’s decision.

The members of the sub-committee will strive to answer the following four questions which are of basic interest to the British Government:

1. Whether the solutions proposed by the majority of the UNSCOP can be considered suitable for the termination of the mandate, and which of the two reports should be accepted by Britain;

2. Whether Britain can accept the UNSCOP majority proposal that the British continue to administer Palestine until the establishment of the independent states, alone or in conjunction with other United Nations members;

3. What amount of cooperation from the other U.N. major powers should be insisted upon by the British Government before undertaking any new Palestine policy; and

4. To what degree the cooperation of both communities should be made Britain’s condition for joining in establishing the foundations of a new Palestine.

These issues, which the Cabinet will try to answer before the UN Assembly meets, hint at the contents of the likely British reply, it is believed here. These may include acceptance of the majority UNSCOP proposals provided other powers are prepared to share Britain’s burdon and, particularly, that the United States see that both the Jewish and Arab communities cooperate, which implies that Washington put an end to any violence.