The British Cabinet is determined to give full support to the Palestine administration and to High Commissioner Sir Harold A. MacMichael, it was announced in the House of Commons today by Colonial Under-Secretary Macmillan.
The announcement was made in reply to a suggestion voiced by S.S. Silverman, Laborite, M.P., that drastic changes should be made both in the policy and the personnel of the Palestine administration in view of the approach of war-like action in the Near East.
Rejecting this suggestion, the Colonial Under-Secretary speaking in behalf of Lord Cranborne, the newly-appointed Colonial Minister, said that the Government is satisfied that the Palestine administration is carrying out faithfully the policy approved by Parliament. “His Majesty’s Government has complete confidence in the High Commissioner of Palestine and in the members of the Palestine administration,” he added.
The Colonial Under-Secretary was then asked by Miss Eleanor Rathbone, Independent M.P., to explain why the Palestine authorities refused to admit the Strume refugees. She pointed out that this is not the first time that a tragedy, such as the Strume sinking, has taken place and appealed to Macmillan, amidst cheers, to see to it that “the Palestine Government shows a little more mercy.” Macmillan replied that the Colonial Office is not yet in possession of the full facts on the Strume case.
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