No Statement on Palestine Until After Commons Debate Next Week, Macdonald Says

The British government will promulgate no ordinances based on the White Paper until after the parliamentary debate on Palestine has taken place, Premier MacDonald told the House of Commons today in reply to two questions directed at him by Major Walter Elliot, Conservative and B. Braken, Laborite.

Immediately following this statement, Lloyd George, Liberal leader, formally asked for a debate on the Palestine question. Mr. MacDonald said that the subject had been discussed in the usual channels and mentioned Monday or Tuesday of next week as the probable dates for such a discussion.

Before this the Prime Minister had declared that there had been some misunderstanding of the White Paper issued after the receipt of the Simpson report and “it has been misinterpreted in some essential points,” he added. In view of these misinterpretations the government “does not intend to proclaim any ordinances before a discussion has taken place,” he declared. “I must repeat,” he continued, “that the government intends to carry out its obligations under the Mandate to both sections of the population.”

When asked by Ormsby Gore whether the deduction could be drawn from the Premier’s statement that the government was prepared to modify the draft of the White Paper and whether the Premier would make a statement to that effect, Mr. MacDonald said that he preferred to wait for the debate.

Earlier in the day William Lunn, parliamentary under-secretary for the Colonies, replying to an inquiry from Major Nathan, announced that a full day would be given for a debate on Palestine next week. In the course of the debate the government is expected to explain in full its financial policy relating to Palestine, the details of which are still under consideration, Mr. Lunn said.