Palestine Commission Can Implement Partition Without Security Council Approval

U.N. Secretary-General Trygve Lie today released the text of a working paper prepared by the Secretariat for the Palestine Commission declaring that the Commission has full power to implement the General Assembly’s decision without the approval of the Security Council.

In a cover letter to Br. T.F. Tsiang, president of the Council, Lie points out that the paper, entitled “Relations Between the United Nations Commission and the security Council,” was prepared in compliance with a specific request for such a paper while Lie was abroad, He added that the document has been distributed to members of the Commission. Observers here believe that the paper was partly formulated by members of the Commission and has the approval of the entire body.

The legal analysis, which amounts to a declaration of the Commission’s rights, asserts that the “primary responsibility” for partition rests with the Commission and that the Council’s powers are those of “guidance.” While the Commission may ask guidance of the Council, it does not need its authorization for action, the paper points out.

It specifically denies the Council’s right to alter the Assembly partition decision – a point of particular importance at this time when the Big Four are meeting on Palestine and open attempts at “conciliation” at the expense of partition have been made.

The Commission’s working paper warned bluntly that “it is anticipated that an attempt will then be made to reopen the whole question of Palestine.” In a further analysis of the Council’s powers, the document asserts that the Council has all the necessary powers to assume responsibility for the security situation in Palestine -not only in the event of a threat from without but also against threats from within.

COMMISSION WILL ASK $30,000,000 LOAN FOR JEWISH GOVERNMENT

Meanwhile, Eduardo Morgan, Panamanian member of the Commission, today revealed that the Commission is preparing an application to the Import-Export Bank for a $30,000,000 loan to finance the Jewish Provisional Government’s first steps toward full independence.

(In Washington the Bank confirmed that informal discussions have been held on the question of credit for the Jewish Government, but that no formal application has been received. An official of the Bank pointed out that the loan would be contingent upon the legal status of the Jewish body, since the Bank may not lend to non-governmental bodies.)

The third and final reading of the draft statute for the international city of Jerusalem is scheduled to take place at a meeting of the Trusteeship Council tomorrow afternoon. At least one more point must be discussed before final approval: a communication from the Jewish agency containing suggestions for changes of the election procedure and composition of the city’s legislative council.