Britain will soon recognize today’s decision of the Transjordan Government to annex the Arab part of Palestine, and will agree to extend to the new territory the mutual defense provisions of the 1948 Anglo-Jordan alliance, diplomatic quarters in London said today.
A British Foreign Office spokesman said that he could not comment on the move made by the Transjordan Government until Britain has been officially informed of it. However, it was generally assumed here that the British Government had been informally consulted and was not opposed to King Abdullah’s decision. The Foreign Office spokesman stated that he does not know whether this decision included the Old City of Jerusalem now occupied by the Arab Legion.
Cabled information from Cairo quoted Arab League officials as stating that the League may convene its Council to consider Abdullah’s fait accompli in annexing Arab Palestine. However, it is unlikely that Transjordan will be expelled from the Arab League.
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