An attempt to arrive at an agreement on a Palestine policy at a Middle East caucus of member states of the United Nations failed here last night, it was learned today. The Arab states proposed that the caucus favor total rejection of the Bernadotte proposals for a Palestine settlement, but Turkey, India and Greece refused to go along, preferring to remain neutral on the Bernadotte plan at this time.
An attempt to decide which Middle Eastern nation shall succeed Syria to a seat on the Security Council also failed. It proved impossible to convince Egypt, which served on the Council in 1946, to withdraw its claims in favor of Turkey. A compromise suggestion that both Turkey and Egypt withdraw in favor of Pakistan is not expected to be accepted by Pakistan. A last-minute effort to resolve this problem will be made tonight, just prior to tomorrow’s voting for a successor to Syria and Columbia.
Delegations of the Arab states today began a propaganda drive against the Bernadotte proposals and against all Israeli claims on Palestine. While certain of these states, and at least one important Arab official, have maintained unofficial contact with the Israeli delegation in Paris, the official Arab attitude shows no sign of lessening opposition to the Bernadotte recommendations.
The Arab states have now set up a press office under the direction of one of their ablest representatives. This has supplanted the one-time Arab Office here which was financed by the Iraqi Government and which was generally inclined to support the policies of King Abdullah of Trans Jordan rather than those of the Arab League and the Palestine Arab Higher Committee.
The Bernadotte proposals for Palestine were made by the late U.N. mediator only as a basis for discussion of a final and lasting settlement of the difficulties between the Jews and the Arab states, Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt, member of the U.S. delegation, declared here today at a press conference. She also said that the question of the Arab refugees from Palestine would be discussed when the general DP and refugee problem is handled by the Social, Humanitarian and Cultural Committee.
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