IF THE JEWS AND ARABS FAIL TO ACCEPT THE SCHEME FOR PARTITION OF PALESTINE QUICKLY, IT MAY FALL THROUGH, IT WAS SAID TODAY IN BRITISH GOVERNMENT CIRCLES.
THE GOVERNMENT WAS REPRESENTED AS ANXIOUS TO HAVE BOTH PARTIES APPROVE THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE ROYAL COMMISSION FOR PALESTINE WITH THE LEAST POSSIBLE DELAY, BECAUSE IT IS AFRAID THE PROPOSALS WILL BE DEFEATED IF MERELY DESTRUCTIVE CRITICISM BY JEWS AND ARABS IS PROLONGED.
STRESSING THE NEED FOR HASTE, THE DANGER WAS CITED OF SOME DEPLORABLE INCIDENT IN PALESTINE WHICH MIGHT MAKE ACCEPTANCE MORE DIFFICULT, IF IT IS DELAYED.
THE QUICK APPROVAL GRANTED BY THE GOVERNMENT TO THE ROYAL COMMISSION’S REPORT WAS INTENDED AS AN EXAMPLE TO THE JEWS AND ARABS OF THE IMPORTANCE OF AN EARLY DECISION.
STRESS FRONTIERS ARE TENTATIVE
INDICATING THE TENTATIVE NATURE OF THE FRONTIERS FOR THE JEWISH AND ARABS STATES OUTLINED IN THE REPORT, IT WAS EXPLAINED THAT, ASSUMING THE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE INDORSED BY THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS, THE DEMARCATION OF FRONTIERS WILL BE CARRIED OUT BY A FRONTIER COMMISSION WHICH WILL BE GUIDED BY THE CONDITIONS IT FINDS LOCALLY IN ITS EXAMINATION ON THE SPOT.
THE REPORT WAS SUBJECTED TO VIGOROUS CRITICISM IN THE SUNDAY TIMES BY THE WRITER “SCRUTATOR,” WHO CALLED THE PARTITION PROPOSALS “THOSE CONFESSIONS OF FAILURE THAT AT BEST ARE WOUNDING TO OUR NATIONAL PRIDE.”
SCRUTATOR DECLARED THE FAILURE OF THE MANDATE WAS NOT DUE TO IRRECONCILABLE CONTRADICTIONS IN ITS TERMS, AS ALLEGED IN THE REPORT, BUT THAT “THE FAULT WAS IN THE WAY IN WHICH IT HAD BEEN WORKED.”
HE CHARGED THAT THE BRITISH POLICY FROM THE VERY FIRST HAD BEEN ONE OF WHITTLING AWAY THE MANDATE. THE RESULT OF THE ARAB RIOTS, HE SAID, WAS TO INFLUENCE THE ARABS TO SUSPECT THAT THEY HAD ONLY TO USE FORCE TO PERSUADE BRITAIN TO ABANDON THE JEWISH NATIONAL HOME.
REFERRING TO THE PARTITION PROPOSALS, SCRUTATOR DECLARED THAT NO ONE SUPPOSED THIS WAS THE FINAL FORM THE TWO PROPOSED STATES WOULD TAKE. HE DEMANDED THE INCLUSION WITHIN THE JEWISH STATE OF JERUSALEM’S NEW CITY, AND OF NEGEB, THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF PALESTINE AROUND BEERSHEBA.
HE URGED CONCENTRATION OF ATTENTION ON AMENDMENTS OF THE FRONTIERS VITAL TO THE SECURITY AND CONTINUANCE OF JEWISH SETTLEMENT WORK, DECLARING ROOM MUST BE LEFT FOR JEWISH GROWTH AND EXPANSion.
“WE SET OUT TO ESTABLISH A NATIONAL HOME FOR THE JEWS IN ARAB-JEWISH PALESTINE,” THE GUARDIAN DECLARES, “AND ENDED BY PRESENTING THE EMIR ABDULLAH (RULER OF TRANSJORDAN) WITH A KINGDOM–AND ALL FOUND. WITH THE HOME GOVERNMENT STEADILY HALF-HEARTED AND THE PALESTINE ADMINISTRATION INDIFFERENT AND DIVIDED ON THE NATIONAL HOME, IT WAS CERTAIN THAT THE WORKING OF THE MANDATE WOULD BECOME MORE PRECARIOUS.”
THE PAPER COUNSELS ALL PARTIES TO CONSIDER “WHAT WILL HAPPEN IF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT CANNOT CARRY PARTITION THROUGH AND IF SOME OF THE LEAGUE POWERS DO NOT ACCEPT OUR VIEW.”
IT ASSERTS THERE SHOULD BE SOME WAY TO ASSOCIATE SOME PART OF JERUSALEM TO THE PROPOSED JEWISH STATE.
SINCE THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAS ALREADY ACCEPTED THE ROYAL COMMISSION’S REPORT, SWIFT ACTION IS “WHOLLY DESIRABLE,” ACCORDING TO THE DAILY TELEGRAPH.
“IT IS TO BE RECOGNIZED,” THE PAPER STATES, “THAT PARTITION DOES NOT GIVE FULL SATISFACTION TO ANY PARTY IN PALESTINE. ANY DOUBT OF INTENTION TO PROCEED WITH THE SCHEME WILL PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR CONTINUED DANGEROUS AGITATION.”
THE PAPER ASSERTS THAT DESERT LANDS IN THE SECTION BETWEEN GAZA AND AKABA, WHICH MIGHT PROVE CULTIVABLE BY THE JEWS, WOULD BE CERTAIN TO REMAIN BARREN UNDER THE ARAB RULE TO WHICH THEY HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
