Lord Passfield Resignation Report Denied: Will New Government Statement Mean Restoration of Politica

Lord Passfield’s resignation from the Colonial Office was also hinted at in yesterday’s “Daily Telegraph”, which stated as follows:

After a number of formal and informal meetings negotiations have been completed between the British Government and the Jewish Agency on the interpretation of the White Paper. Dr. Weizmann, President of the Jewish Agency, has definitely approved the draft of a letter containing the Government’s new attitude towards the White Paper. Last Friday a sub-Committee meeting was held, at which there were present Mr. Arthur Henderson, the Foreign Secretary; Lord Passfield, the Colonial Secretary; Mr. Tom Shaw, Secretary for War, and Mr. A. V. Alexander, First Lord of the Admiralty. This meeting unanimously approved the letter drafted by the Lord Advocate, Mr. Craigie Aitchison, K.C.

Immediately following the decision of this Sub-Committee a joint meeting was held between the Cabinet Sub-Committee and Dr. Chaim Weizmann and his colleagues. As a result a draft letter was submitted to the Government on Wednesday and approved. It is under-stood that some very important concessions have been secured.

The letter, which is signed by the Foreign Secretary, seeks to destroy those points in the White Paper to which Zionists have taken such strong objection. The letter definitely restores the political position which existed with reference to Palestine before the White Paper was issued, but the Legislative Council proposal remains.

A new development scheme, which has been approved by Dr. Weizmann and has been formulated in response to Zionist requests, is also foreshadowed in the matter. Further, the Zionists representations regarding the land and immigration have been generously responded to by the Government.

Although negotiations have been completed and an amicabls arrangement reached as indicated, there was at one time a danger of a breakdown.

It is of special interest that the letter is not signed by Lord Passfield. This fact adds strength to the rumour which has been prevalent for some time that the Mandate may be transferred from the Colonial Office to the Foreign Office.

In Parliamentary circles there is a revival of the rumour that Lord Passfield will shortly resign and that he will be succeeded by Lord Noel-Buxton.

NEW STATEMENT WILL BE LARGELY DEFENCE OF GOVERNMENT’S WHITE PAPER POLICY AND QUESTION OF LORD PASSFIELD’S RESIGNATION DOES NOT ARISE: NO FOUNDATION FOR REPORT THAT MANDATE WILL BE TRANSFERRED TO FOREIGN OFFICE

I understand from a competent source, the Diplomatic Correspondent of the “Sunday Referee” writes to-day, however, that the rumour that Lord Passfield will resign from the Colonial Office, in consequence of the forthcoming Governmental statement on Palestine, is without foundation.

The Government, he proceeds, will shortly issue a document explanatory of the recent White Paper on Palestine. This will be largely in the nature of a defence of the Government’s policy in connection with the White Paper, and the question of Lord Passfield resigning does not, I understand, arise. In the forth-coming Government document it will probably be found that some concessions will be made to the Zionist point of view in matters of detail, but there will be no divergence from the main lines of policy. The question of agriculture will, I understand, receive a considerable amount of attention.

There will, it is understood, be no reversal of policy, but amicable discussions have enabled various disputed points to be settled, the “Sunday Times” writes to-day in the same connection.

It was stated authoritatively yesterday, it says, that there is no foundation for the report that the Mandate for Palestine will shortly be transferred from the Colonial Office to the Foreign Office, nor is it true that the resignation of Lord Passfield is imminent.