DISSATISFACTION WITH THE ATTITUDE OF COLONIAL SECRETARY WILLIAM ORMSBY-GORE, WHICH SEEMED TO BE THAT PARTITION OF PALESTINE WAS A FOREGONE CONCLUSION, WAS EXPRESSED AT THE MANDATES COMMISSION HEARING YESTERDAY.
IT WAS POINTED OUT THAT THE BRITISH OFFICIAL HAD STRESSED THE DIFFICULTIES FACING A BOUNDARY COMMISSION AND HAD ADVISED STUDY OF THIS PROBLEM WHEN THE PALESTINE REPORTS FOR 1935 AND 1936, AND THE ROYAL COMMISSION’S REPORT HAD NOT YET BEEN DISCUSSED.
THE MEMBERS OF THE MANDATES COMMISSION ARE BELIEVED NOT CONVINCED OF THE INEVITABILITY OF PARTITION AND EXPECT THAT IT WILL TAKE A LONG TIME BEFORE A DECISION ON THE QUESTION IS REACHED.
IN HIS OPENING ADDRESS FRIDAY MR. ORMSBY-GORE SAID:
“NOT ONLY THE EXPERIENCE OF THE LAST YEAR, BUT THE DIFFICULTIES OF THE MANDATORY POWER IN THE LAST SEVENTEEN YEARS HAVE TO BE REVIEWED. THERE MUST BE A GENERAL STOCKTAKING AND EXPOSITION OF THE MANDATE.
“IN THE LIGHT OF EXPERIENCE AND THE ROYAL COMMISSION’S ARGUMENTS, WE ARE DRIVEN TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THE CONFLICT OF ASPIRATIONS OF ARABS AND JEWS IS IRRECONCILABLE AND THE ASPIRATIONS CANNOT BE SATISFIED UNDER THE MANDATE.
“PARTITION IS THE BEST AND MOST COMPLETE SOLUTION OF THE DEADLOCK. HIS MAJESTY’S GOVERNMENT PROPOSE TO ADVISE HIS MAJESTY ACCORDINGLY. PARLIAMENT HAS RESERVED THE RIGHT TO EXAMINE A DEFINITE SCHEME WHEN FORMULATED, AND THE SAME APPLIES TO THE MANDATES COMMISSION AND THE LEAGUE COUNCIL.
“PRELIMINARY APPROVAL OF THE SCHEME WILL CARRY US FAR IN NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE ARABS AND JEWS IF THEY ARE WILLING TO NEGOTIATE THE PREPARATION OF THE SCHEME. IT IS NOT GOING TO BE AN EASY TASK, BUT IT MUST BE FACED FOR PEACE, ORDER AND GOOD GOVERNMENT IN THAT PART OF ASIA.”
MR. ORMSBY-GORE CLOSED BY STRESSING THE IMPORTANCE OF A BOUNDARY COMMISSION, WITHOUT WHICH, HE SAID, IT WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE TO FORMULATE A DEFINITE PARTITION SCHEME.
A DELEGATION FROM THE PALESTINE JEWISH NATIONAL COUNCIL ACCOMPANIED BY DR. NAHUM GOLDMAN, GENEVA REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ZIONIST EXECUTIVE, CONFERRED YESTERDAY WITH THE COLONIAL SECRETARY AND WITH MEMBERS OF THE MANDATES COMMISSION, AS DID ANOTHER DELEGATION REPRESENTING THE NEW ZIONIST ORGANIZATION.
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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.
