The British Cabinet is expected to reach a final Decision on its role in Palestine at a meeting here tomorrow to which Foreign Secretary Ernest Bevin and Colonial Secretary Arthur Creech-Jones are expected to be present to discuss the ramifications of the American proposal to abandon the partition scheme for Palestine and replace it with a temporary U.N. trusteeship.
Some circles close to the government predict that the Cabinet meeting will result in a speeding up of the evacuation plan for Palestine in an attempt to avoid involvement in the trusteeship plan. These same circles point out that the British Government has been aware that the U.S. was considering such a proposal, but had not expected its introduction at this point. Other sources state that some members of the Cabinet discussed the proposal last week, knowing that it would be offered by the U.S.
Meanwhile, the Foreign Office announced yesterday that Britain will not alter its plans to surrender the Mandate by May 15, or evacuate its troops by August 1, Earlier, while speculation as still rife that Britain might offer to remain in Palestine either pending clarification of the problems raised by the new U.S. proposal or as a trusteeship for the U.N., the Colonial Office issued a denial of the likelihood of reversing the British Government’s decision. Sine then a number of interdepartmental meetings have been held.
Prof. Selig Brodetsky, president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, today called on British Jewry to rally to the support of a Jewish state in Palestine despite the American policy reversal. At a meeting of the Board, he asserted that the great majority of the Jews were “shocked” at the U.S. position as stated b. Warren Austin at the Security Council last Friday.
Pointing out repeatedly that partition was the ultimate compromise for the Jews, Prof. Brodetsky said the situation in Palestine had become more and more difficult. “I do not see how it is possible to turn around completely as if the situation in Palestine now were what it was then without taking into account steps taken by the British Government on the procedure for leaving the country,” he said.
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