On the eve of President Truman’s expected decision on the Palestine federalization plan offered by the British, it was indicated today in official circles that if the plan is not accepted, Jewish immigration into Palestine may be completely halted.
A spokesman for the Colonial Office pointed out that the 75,000 immigration quota for Jews which was set by the White Paper of 1939 is practically exhausted. It was also learned today that “illegal” immigration of Jews to Palestine will be one of the main questions which the British Cabinet will discuss at its meeting tomorrow.
It was reported today by Reuter that with the arrival of four refugee ships at Haifa last week and the expected arrival of a number of other vessels bearing visaless immigrants, the situation is considered here “to have reached a critical state.” A statement is expected from the Colonial Office within a few days, the British news agency said.
Reuter also reported that invitations to the round-table discussions on Palestine were sent to four members of the Palestine Arab Higher Committee over the weekend. Pointing out that no invitation has yet been received by the Jewish Agency, the report said that it is believed that discussions last week between Dr. Chaim Weizmann and Colonial Secretary George Hall dealt with this matter, but that no final decision had been reached.
In a dispatch from Cyprus, Reuter stated that it is believed that a concentration camp has been prepared on the island to hold 2,000 Jews expected there today. Classifying the identity of the expected prisoners as “top secret,” the authorities have refused to give any details.
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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.
