News Brief

A feeling of optimism prevailed today among the members of the United Nations Special Committee on Palestine as they emerged from their secret meeting, at which signs of cooperation among the various delegations ## reported for the first time.

The UNSCOP members seem in general agreement that the situation in Palestine ?intelerable and must be changed, that the British mandate is legal but unworkable, ## that Palestine must be given independence – an independence in which there is no ?eign interference and which would mean the withdrawal of Britain.

UNSCOP will continue its series of secret, self-exploratory and off-the-record ?cussions, which might almost be described as “political confessionals” in which ## member takes the floor in turn, and explains frankly what he feels and believes ? to the tentative solutions thus far advanced.

At this juncture, the likelihood of a United Nations trusteeship over Palestine, which had so long been rumored as a ranking possibility, seems much less em?msized, perhaps because of the belief of many that Palestine is a unique problem, manding a unique custom-tailored solution.

At the same time, there is recognition here of British imperial interests, and only further meetings of the Committee can disclose how those interests are to be ?ated. UNSCOP also realizes, it is evident, that today Palestine has a large Jewish population which has achieved a great deal, and members of UNSCOP unquestionably feel bat that is a fact which must be accepted new, and one overshadowing the historical act that for centuries Palestine was principally inhabited by Arabs.