Arriving at a truce is of cardinal import-ice in solving the problem in Palestine, Acting Secretary of State Robert A. Lovett old a press conference today.
Lovett declined to comment on a press report emanating in the Capital that ##e State and Defense Departments had concurred in an agreement that this country would be willing to Join with other countries to send U.S. troops to police Palestine the Jews and Arabs could agree on a truce.
In commenting on the importance of a truce, Secretary Lovett emphasized that resident Truman and Secretary of State Marshall had both pointed out in public statements that this country would naturally be willing to assume a fair share of the responsibility for maintaining peace in Palestine, whatever that might entail. The whole question, he said, would be discussed at the forthcoming special session of the U.N. General Assembly.
A proposal that Defense Secretary Forrestal, Under-Secretary of State Lovett and Chief of the Near East Division of the State Department Loy Henderson appear before a Congressional committee to explain the U.S. reversal on the Palestine partition plan was made today by Rep. Jacob K. Javits, of New York, on the floor of the House.
Javits described the three officials as the men “who must have been responsible in a major way” for the American policy shift. He also urged lifting of the arms embargo on Palestine and American support for the formation of a United Nations voluntary police force for Palestine, in which members of the Jewish War Veterans could enlist. He voiced the belief the J.W.V. could furnish a 20,000-man division to go to Palestine.
A delegation from the Political Action Committee for Palestine, led by Rabbi Baruch Korff, yesterday presented a two-million signature petition to Senators Ives, Langer and Capper and Rep. Sol Bloom, calling for “immediate constructive legislation on Palestine.” The delegation urged the Congressional leaders to call upon President Truman to ask the United Nations to return toits original position in support of partition.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
