League Body Now Seen Convinced Mandate is Unworkable

GREAT BRITAIN’S BASIC ARGUMENT FOR PARTITIONING PALESTINE, THE UNWORKABILITY OF THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS MANDATE, IS LIKELY TO BE UPHELD BY THE PERMANENT MANDATES COMMISSION DESPITE THE SKEPTICISM EVINCED BY COMMISSION MEMBERS DURING THE PAST WEEK’S HEARINGS, IT WAS LEARNED TODAY.

THIS DISCLOSURE CAME ON THE HEELS OF THE REVELATION THAT DR. CHAIM WEIZMANN, PRESIDENT OF THE WORLD ZIONIST ORGANIZATION, HAS ASKED SEVERAL IMPORTANT PERSONS HERE TO SERVE ON A COMMISSION TO ARBITRATE THE BOUNDARIES OF ARAB AND JEWISH STATES TO BE CARVED OUT OF THE HOLY LAND.

THE MANDATES COMMISSION APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN WON OVER TO THE BRITISH VIEW OF THE IMPOSSIBILITY OF ADMINISTERING PALESTINE UNDER THE PRESENT SET-UP BY THE CLEAR AND PRECISE ANSWERS SUPPLIED YESTERDAY BY BRITAIN’S COLONIAL SECRETARY, WILLIAM G. A. ORMSBY-GORE, TO ITS SEARCHING QUESTIONS.

AS A RESULT IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE COMMISSION WHICH EARLIER HAD EXPRESSED ASTONISHMENT OVER THE FAILURE OF THE PALESTINE GOVERNMENT TO CONTROL THE ARABS, WILL EXPRESS THE OPINION IN ITS REPORT TO THE LEAGUE COUNCIL THAT THE MANDATE AS DRAFTED IS UNWORKABLE, THAT ITS TEXT IS VAGUE AND THAT THIS IS RESPONSIBLE FOR MANY FAULTS OF THE BRITISH ADMINISTRATION IN THE HOLY LAND.

THIS WILL PROBABLY BE THE ONLY CATEGORICAL OPINION EXPRESSED BY THE COMMISSION. IT HAS APPOINTED A DRAFTING COMMITTEE TO DRAW UP ITS REPORT, WHICH WILL WORK SATURDAY AND SUNDAY, ENABLING THE COMMISSION TO START DISCUSSING THE FINAL WORDING OF THE REPORT MONDAY.

MR. ORMSBY-GORE REMAINED TO CONTINUE ANSWERING QUESTIONS, BUT WAS TO LEAVE LATER IN THE DAY. DR. WEIZMANN, BEFORE LEAVING GENEVA YESTERDAY, CONFERRED WITH COMMISSION MEMBERS AND OTHER PROMINENT PERSONAGES ON THE BRITISH PARTITION PLAN AND THE ZIONIST RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING NEGOTIATIONS FOR ESTABLISHMENT OF A JEWISH STATE.

THE ZIONIST CHIEFTAIN DINED WITH PROFESSOR WILLIAM RAPPARD OF GENEVA, VICE-CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMISSION, AND WAS UNDERSTOOD TO HAVE EXPRESSED THE OPINION THAT FROM THE JEWISH VIEWPOINT ESTABLISHMENT OF A JEWISH STATE IN PART OF PALESTINE WAS PREFERABLE TO CONTINUATION OF THE MANDATE UNDER PRESENT CONDITIONS.

WHILE SEVERAL MEMBERS OF THE MANDATES COMMISSION ARE BELIEVED TO OPPOSE THE VIEW THAT THE MANDATE CANNOT BE OPERATED, MR. ORMSBY-GORE IS REPORTED TO HAVE TOLD THAT BODY THAT THE BRITISH PEOPLE WOULD CERTAINLY REFUSE TO SEND TROOPS TO MAINTAIN THE REGIME BY FORCE .

NO MATTER WHAT PLAN FOR PALESTINE IS ADOPTED, IT IS BOUND TO MEET OPPOSITION, PARTICULARLY FROM THE ARABS, MR. ORMSBY-GORE IS SAID TO HAVE TOLD COMMISSIONERS WHO ASKED WHETHER BRITAIN WOULD HAVE THE NECESSARY AUTHORITY OR DESIRE TO ENFORCE ANY SOLUTION THAT MIGHT EVENTUALLY BE WORKED OUT.

MR. ORMSBY-GORE IN HIS STATEMENT TO THE JEWISH TELEGRAPHIC AGENCY YESTERDAY IN WHICH HE SAID BRITAIN WOULD START NEGOTIATIONS ON ESTABLISHMENT OF A JEWISH STATE AFTER THE SEPTEMBER LEAGUE COUNCIL MEETING, ALSO DECLARED THAT IRAQ COULD NOT OFFER STRONG OPPOSITION TO PARTITION IN THE COUNCIL. THE IRAQ GOVERNMENT HAS PROTESTED TO THE MANDATES COMMISSION AGAINST THE PLAN.

THE COMMISSION QUESTIONED MR. ORMSBY-GORE THIS AFTERNOON THE FUTURE OF ARAB JEWISH RELATIONS, PARTICULARLY WITH REGARD TO PROBLEMS OF SETTLEMENT AND TRANSFER OF MINORITY POPULATIONS IN THE EVENT INDEPENDENT ARAB AND JEWISH STATES ARE CREATED.