British Plea to U.N. to Halt Palestine Immigration Checked by U.S. Opposition

The British plea to members of the United Nations to prevent “illegal immigration” of Jews to Palestine was not acted upon by U.N. Secretary General Trygve Lie because of vigorous American opposition, it was learned here today.

British spokesmen today denied that they have withdrawn the plea. They said that they asked Mr. Lie that nothing be done on it for the present and added that they are “considering the most appropriate method of action.”

U.S. GROUPS ASK U.N. TO ALLOW PARTICIPATION OF JEWISH AGENCY

Six national organizations today submitted a joint memorandum to the U.N. Secretariat calling upon the General Assembly to arrange for the participation–without a vote–of the Jewish Agency in all deliberations on Palestine as the internationally recognized representative of the Jewish people with respect to Palestine.

The memorandum also requested that Britain and the Arab states should not be named by the General Assembly to the proposed fact-finding committee on the ground that they represent parties with an interest in the issue. The same organizations requested President Truman to instruct the American delegation at the United Nations to support these proposals.

The memorandum was signed by Philip Murray, president of the C.I.O., and by leaders of the Council for Democracy, Progressive Citizens of America, Church Peace Union, Formers Educational and Cooperative Union, and Nation Associates. It pointed out that by its implementation of the White Paper and its unilateral establishment of the independence of Trans-Jordan, Britain violated its 1924 convention with the United States under which no changes in the Palestine Mandate can be made without the prior consent of the United States.

COUNCIL FOR JUDAISM, BERGSON GROUP OPPOSE AGENCY REPRESENTATION

The Council for Judaism today reported that its New York Chapter has advised members of Congress that it rejects the efforts of the Jewish Agency to obtain recognition at the United Nations as the authorized spokesman for the Jewish people. It requested the Congressmen to convey to the U.S. delegation that “as citizens of the United States we regard our only spokesman before the United Nations to be the duly constituted representatives of the United States of America.”

The American League for a Free Palestine also opposed Agency representation, asserting in a letter to U.S. chief delegate Warren Austin that to grant the Agency plea would “be tantamount to official recognition that Jewish citizens of countries other than Palestine are not full citizens or have dual allegiance.” It asked him to back the Hebrew Committee of National Liberation demand for seating of a “Hebrew national delegation.”