Palestine Session Opens on Pessimistic Note; Stress Need for Immediate Truce

In an atmosphere of undisguised pessi## the special General Assembly session on Palestine opened here today to reconsider the partition decision and decide the future of Palestine.

Emphasizing that this is the third time the Palestine question is being considered by the U.N. Assembly, Ambassador Joao Carlos Muniz of Brazil, who presided the absence of Oswaldo Aranha, said: “The first condition for the success of the discussions which are to take place here is the full assent of Arabs and Jews alike the truce resolution of the Security Council.”

Only the total suspension of hostilities in Palestine, Muniz said in his ending address, can create a favorable atmosphere which will enable the Assembly ### find a solution. Both Muniz and Jose Arce of Argentina, who was elected president at the special session, stressed the existing antagonism between Jews and Arabs and appealed for a broad formula for cooperation.

“The best program the Assembly may choose,” Arce said, “would be of less value ?an agreement between the Arabs and Jews.” He warned that the moment may arise when ## Strategic interests of the great powers in Palestine may cause both communities to regret their failure to agree on a peaceful solution of their problem.

SECURITY COUNCIL DECISION ON TRUCE HOLD MAJOR FACTOR

A heavy cordon of New York police and U.N. security guards was thrown around the Assembly building. Precautionary measures at day’s opening session were more extensive than at any previous meeting on Palestine including that of November 29 then the partition resolution was adopted. Each entrance to the building was carefully guarded and visitors were rigidly scrutinized.

Delegates were inclined to lay more stress upon the importance of tonight’s Security Council discussion of the truce than upon the purely procedural opening of the Special Assembly. It was felt that if the truce plan is adopted and enforced will pave the way toward a solution by the Assembly which would be acceptable to ##h Jews and Arabs.

Whether the Council will or will not reach agreement on the terms of a general ##ice tonight–and this depends largely upon the attitude of the Soviet and Ukrainian legations–the paramount importance of enforcing peace in the city of Jerusalem was emphasized by many delegates as a move which may lead to peace throughout Palestine. ## was pointed out that even under the partition proposal all parties concerned ?need that Jerusalem is to be under U.N. trusteeship and governed by a U.N. appointed ?ernor.

DELEGATES POINT UP HOPE FOR SWIFT PEACE IN JERUSALEM

Because Jerusalem is held sacred by the three major faiths and especially because of the pleas sent by non-Jewish religious leaders to the U.N. urging speedy ion to halt bloodshed in Jerusalem, it is expected that whatever the outcome of ? general truce negotiations something will be done within the next few days to ?ure peace in the Holy City under international supervision. Such a peace, it is fumed, would have a beneficial effect upon the whole Palestine situation and would able the Assembly to proceed with its work in a less impassioned atmosphere.

The afternoon session was devoted to electing presidents and vice-presidents the six major committees which, with the president of the General Assembly, constitute the powerful steering committee which regulates the Assembly’s agenda. Of ?or importance was the election of Sir Carl Berendsen, of New Zealand, as chairman the Trusteeship Committee which will have primary responsibility for drafting the posed Palestine trusteeship.

SHERTOK ASKS CLARIFICATION OF BRITISH ROLE DURING TRUCE PERIOD

“Unless some clarification to the contrary is forthcoming, the Mandatory Power ? be deemed to be authorized by the Security Council to carry out its operations activities even to the prejudice of the conditions upon which the maintenance of ? truce depends,” Shertok pointed out.

THE ASSEMBLY ADJOURNED LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND WILL RESUME MONDAY MORNING

(The New York State Democratic Party today officially disassociated itself ?n President Truman’s Palestine policy in adopting a resolution presented by Edward ? Flynn, former national chairman, urging that partition be affected without delay.

(The resolution reads: “We recognize that the only just solution to the Palestinian problem is the establishment of a Jewish democratic commonwealth within the ?dy Land as contemplated by the partition program of the United Nations General Assembly. We urge in the interests of justice and world peace that the partition program be implemented without delay as the best solution of a critical solution.”)