Bevin Meets with Jewish Agency Leaders; Has No Plan for Present; Will Meet Again

Foreign Secretary Ernest Bevin tonight informed the members of the Jewish Agency who have been holding informal talks with him that for the present he had no plan on Palestine to offer them, but might submit “a statement of views” within a few days.

Earlier this week, Bevin had assured both Jews and Arabs that he would give them a statement of policy today. His failure to do so is understood to be a result of the refusal of the Cabinet to approve his proposed course of action.

Official circles indicate that at today’s Cabinet meeting two plans came up for discussion. One, presented by Colonial Secretary Arthur Cresch-Jones, urged the immediate partition of Palestine into Jewish and Arab states. The second, presented by Bevin, suggested the “federalization” of Palestine into semi-autonomous Jewish and Arab provinces with increased immigration into the Jewish province.

It is understood that a compromise was reached in principle. Anticipating possible Jewish Agency refusal to accept the compromise, Bevin urged that if the Zionists reject his proposal, the Palestine mandate be handed over to the United Nations.

During his meeting with the Jewish Agency leaders, Bevin declared that he needed more time for consideration of the situation before presenting a final plan. He promised that he would submit his proposal to the Jewish Agency for study and reply prior to its publication and declared that he would meet again with the Jewish representatives within a few days.

GOVERNMENT REVIEWS PALESTINE SITUATION IN STATEMENT TO COMMONS

Meanwhile, the Government today submitted to the House of Commons a statement on the current situation in Palestine. The statement was presented by Cresch-Jones. It said that the Government has no desire to impose “military repression” on Palestine, “but the terrorist organizations have themselves stated that there will be further outrages and that they will turn Palestine into a blood bath if the sentence on Gruner is carried out.”

Admitting that the concentration of “essential civilians” is causing great disturbance and hardships to Jews and Arabs whose homes are being requisitioned, the Colonial Secretary expressed regret that “it has been necessary to take these measures.” He stressed that the civil administration is carrying on and the civil courts are continuing to function in Palestine.

“It is not the Palestine authorities or the government which is trying to bring conflict into Palestine, or use the present situation as a justification for limiting civil liberty,” he declared. “Our sole endeavor is to maintain peace and good order.”

Asked by Barnet Janner, Laborite, whether the government could vest the Jewish Agency with new powers so that it could assit the British authorities in matters concerning Jewish immigration to Palestine, the Colonial Secretary replied: “We are not concerned at the moment with vesting the Agency with new powers. What we are doing is asking if the Jewish community in Palestine will cooperate with the authorities in dealing with criminal practices.”

Kenneth Pickthorn, Conservative, demanded the withdrawal of British recognition from the Jewish Agency. Samuel Silverman, Laborite, asked whether the Jewish community in Palestine had offered to use its own institutions to combat terrorism and whether this offer had been accepted by the Palestine authorities. The Colonial Secretary replied that the Jewish community now had the opportunity to declare to the government the steps it is prepared to take in dealing with terrorism.

At a meeting between leaders of the Jewish Agency and the Agudas Israel, the latter urged that if the British Government propose a plan for dividing Palestine into Jewish and Arab cantons under a central government in which both sides are granted parity, the Jewish organizations should not reject it.