Henderson’s Statement Did Not Exclude White Paper Interpretation

The statement made by Arthur Henderson, Foreign Secretary in the MacDonald cabinet, in his address before the annual conference of the British Labor Party that “there is no question of altering the policy of the Balfour Declaration, embodied in the Mandate, for supporting the establishment of Palestine as a national home for the Jews,” was not intended to exclude the White Paper interpretation, the diplomatic correspondent of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency here understands.

This reference by Mr. Henderson does not indicate any departure on the part of the British government from the policy laid down in the Churchill White Paper, and it must be regarded purely as a matter of hasty wording on the part of Mr. Henderson. The official interpretation of the Balfour Declaration remains today, as ever, the policy of Great Britain, which favors the establishment of a Jewish national home in Palestine and not to create a wholly Jewish Palestine, the correspondent understands.

All tentative plans which were under discussion regarding political representation in Palestine, including a plan for the creation of a legislative council or assembly, are in abeyance pending the cleaning up of the present situation.

Sir Boyd Merriman, Solicitor General of the late Baldwin government, is leaving London for Palestine to represent the interests of the Jewish Agency before the Commission of Inquiry. The diplomatic correspondent of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency understands that while all three parties concerned, the Jewish Agency, the Arabs and the Palestine government, will be repreesnted by counsel before the Commission, it is not likely that there will be a cross-examination of witnesses, as many of the local witnesses are likely to be limited in their education and it would not be the best plan to submit such witnesses to expert cross-examination of eminent counsel.