Big Powers at San Francisco Provide for Jewish Rights in Palestine Under Trusteeship

The big powers were reported here today to have reached an agreement on the text of the arrangements for trusteeship of mandated territories which is interpreted to mean that no changes will be made in the provisions of the Palestine mandate without consulting the Jews and the Arabs.

The clause in this text which is of particular interest with regard to Palestine reads “Nothing in this chapter should be construed in and of itself to alter in any manner the right of any state or any people in any territory.” Originally the clause lacked the word” any people.” This change guarantees that the rights given to Jews under the Palestine mandate will not be abolished under the trusteeship system.

In a letter addressed to Alger Hiss, Secretary General of the United Nations Conference, Dr. Nahum Goldman charged in behalf of the Jewish Agency that the Arab delegations here filed an “incomplete and misleading document” with the UNCIO. The charge was based on the fact that the Arab delegations filed the pact of the League of Arab States but omitted filing the annex to this document. In this annex the leagne seeks to classify Palestine as an Arab State and provides for the designation of an Arab representative for Palestine to participate in the League’s work.

This omission, Dr. Goldmann pointed out, is serious and tends to give a false impression of the character and the contents of the pact. “To our knowledge, indeed, the filing of such an incomplete and misleading document at an international assembly is unprecedented and is in violation of all normal international procedures,” the protest said, emphasizing that the annex is in clear conflict with the international status of Palestine and with the international obligations contained in the Palestine mandate.

The Egyption delegation, which represents the League of Arab States, today refused to comment on the charge by Dr. Goldmann, except to say that the annex was set filed because it was not considered important. Dr. Goldmann, in his letter to the secretary general of the UNCIO, requested that the letter be circulated as a document of the conference as was the Arab pact.

Dr. I. N. Steinberg, the leader of the Jewish Freeland league, today subsitted to the delegations of the United Nations here a memorandum on the project of settling Jews in Kimberley, Australia. He also conferred with delegates from Australia, Canada and France. Dr. Steinberg did not submit his memorandum to the Arab delegations.