Although there are varying interpretations here of the decision on Palestine taken yesterday by the British Cabinet, almost the entire press, including usually well informed papers, agree that the government decided that it cannot continue to administer the Mandate unaided.
It is understood that Colonial Secretary Arthur Creech-Jones, who is leaving by air tomorrow for Flushing Meadow, will tell the U.N. General Assembly that Britain wants to withdraw its troops from Palestine if the Assembly backs the UNSCOP majority report without any revisions.
The press also states that Creech-Jones will carry a personal message from Foreign Minister Bevin to Secretary of State Marshall, suggesting that while whatever decision the Assembly reaches is being implemented, there must be some revision of Britian’s responsibility for maintaining the peace in Palestine.
It is reported that the Cabinet was disinclined to accept either the majority or minority UNSCOP recommendations as they stand and feels that some new solution or a modification of the UNSCOP recommendations is necessary. The majority of the Cabinet indicated that they favored quitting Palestine, but do not plan any sudden British withdrawal, but rather a shortening of the two-year transition period recommended by the U.N. Special Committee.
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