None of the telegrams allegedly exchanged among members of the Jewish Agency in Jerusalem and London, which the British Government published in yesterday’s White Paper, were received or discussed by members of the Jewish Agency in London, a spokesman for the Agency office declared here today. He added that before commenting further the members of the Agency must consult their colleagues in Palestine, “some of whom are still under detention.”
In an editorial discussing the White Paper, the Times today declares that “for mistaken reasons” the Agency and the Jewish National Council failed to control “fanatics” in Palestine, and therefore it is impossible to acquit the Agency for its failure to recognize and avert the peril not only to the Jewish national home but to Jews everywhere. The newspaper calls upon the Agency to make a sustained effort to convince the Palestine Jewish community that terrorists are the worst enemies of its national aspirations.
The Manchester Guardian points out that the White Paper of 1939 was responsible for pushing loyal Jews into opposition to Britain. Asserting that Dr. Chaim Weizmann’s influence has been strengthened by the fact that he was not implicated in the alleged ties between the Agency and the underground movement, it calls upon the British Government to give Dr. Weizmann and other moderates “something to show” if they are to regain control of Jewish policy in Palestine. It stresses that any plan which restricts Jewish immigration will not “cool hot heads” in Palestine, and that the government would do well to consider this before putting “an end to one of the noblest experiments of our century.”
The Daily Telegraph asserts that the White Paper adds little to the knowledge of the Palestine situation, adding that it has been clear since the issuance of the report of the Anglo-American inquiry committee that “cooperation as demanded was not forthcoming from the Zionists.”
OPERATIONS TO DESTROY TERRORISM WERE BEING MAPPED IN BLASTED HOTEL
In a report from Jerusalem, the Daily Mail says that the biggest military operation in Palestine’s history, designed to wipe out terrorist organizations, was being planned on the top floor of the five-story wing of the King David Hotel which was destroyed in Tuesday’s explosion.
Stronger measures to control Palestine were today advocated in the House of Lords where Lord Morris, referring to the blasting of British military headquarters in Jerusalem, demanded that the government cease its “insane policy” of trying to administer the mandate “with no more than a small body of police armed with truncheons.”
The New Statesman and Nation emphasizes that there is a danger that the White Paper will divert attention from the central issue of a constructive solution of the Palestine problem. It urges that the government release the Jewish leaders and that Prime Minister Attlee meet with Dr. Weizmann for a “frank exchange of views.” The arrest of the Agency leaders and trade unionism has antagonized the entire Jewish population of Palestine and has undermined the influence of the moderate leaders, the Statesman says, concluding that the raids failed in their primary objective, destruction of the underground resistance groups, particularly the Irgun Zvai Leumi.
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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.
