The British Government is taking steps in New York to see whether United Nations action on Palestine can be expedited, Colonial Secretary Arthur Creech-Jones told the Hopse of Comons today. He said that he hoped within a week to announce whether any progress has been made.
His statement came in reply to a demand by former Prime Minister Churchill that steps be taken to place the issue before the U.N. immediately. “Is there no means of accelerating the appeal to the U.N. or are we just to drift on with these horrible outrages and counter-measures, which are necessary, but none the less painful?” Churchill asked. “Can nothing be donetto accelerate the appeal to the U.N. ?”
(According to sources in New York, U.N. Secretary-General Trygve Lie is planning to ask the 55 member nations to authorize the appointment of a sub-commission to inquire into the Palestine situation and report back to the next session of the General Assembly in September.)
COLONIAL SECRETARY ADMITS JEWS TAKING ACTIVE STEPS TO CURB TERRORISM
Condemning the outbreak of violence in Palestine over the week-end, the Colonial Minister said that such action would in no way facilitate a solution of the problem, particularly when Britain has announced its decision to take the question to the U.N. He admitted that in the past month the Jewish community had taken “more active steps” to reduce terrorism but added that “unfortunately they were not able to respond wholeheartedly” to the High Commissioner’s request.
Queried by Samuel Silverman, Labor, who asked whether Creech-Jones could confirm that Maj. Gen. R.H. Gale, military commander in Tel Aviv, had received considerable aid from Jews, and whether a more generous immigration policy might be introduced in the interim period before a U.N. settlement, the Colonial Minister replied that the government is giving “very close study to immigration.” He told another questioner that the government did not plan to issue a White Paper on the relations between the Jewish Agency and the Stern Group, the Irgun and the Haganah.
Creech-Jones reported to the House in detail on the disturtances in Palestine, which led to the imposition of martial law. He said that 18 persons had been killed and 25 injured. He reaffirmed that the Palestine adminietration would be backed by the government in any action it deemed necessary to eradicate terrorism.
A similar debate took place in the House of Lords, during which Viscount Cranborne, former Colonial Minister, suggested that all of Palestine be placed under martial law, rather than certain areas.
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