Partition Advances at Geneva; Eden Asks New Commission to Map Revised Plan

GREAT BRITAIN’S PLAN TO DIVIDE PALESTINE INTO INDEPENDENT JEWISH AND ARAB STATES MADE PROGRESS TODAY IN BOTH THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS COUNCIL AND THE EIGHTEENTH ASSEMBLY.

FOLLOWING A STRONG PLEA BY BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY ANTHONY EDEN THAT HIS GOVERNMENT BE AUTHORIZED TO APPOINT A COMMISSION TO GO TO PALESTINE AND NEGOTIATE WITH JEWS AND ARABS FOR A NEW PARTITION SCHEME, THE COUNCIL APPOINTED A COMMITTEE OF THREE TO DRAFT A RESOLUTION FOR POSSIBLE SUBMISSION AND DISCUSSION AT THIS SESSION. THE COMMITTEE COMPRISES (CONFIRMING THE J.T.A. REPORT OF SEPT. 13) VICTOR ANTONESCU OF RUMANIA, VILHELMS MUNTERS OF LATVIA AND RICHARD SANDLER OF SWEDEN.

THE ASSEMBLY MEANWHILE CLEARED THE WAY FOR DISCUSSION OF THE PRESSING PALESTINE ISSUE BY THE SIXTH (POLITICAL) COMMISSION, POSSIBLY NEXT WEEK. IT ADOPTED A RESOLUTION BROUGHT IN BY NORWAY, AUTHORIZING SUBMISSION TO THE SIXTH COMMISSION OF THE PALESTINE ADMINISTRATION AND MANDATES COMMISSION REPORTS.

STAGES IN REALIZING PARTITION

AFTER CAPT. EDEN’S SPEECH, IN WHICH HE ASSERTED PARTITION WAS THE ONLY SOLUTION TO THE PALESTINE QUESTION, THE FOLLOWING STAGES IN THE REALIZATION OF THE PLAN WERE ANTICIPATE.

1. THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WILL NOMINATE A NEW PALESTINE COMMISSION WITHIN THE NEXT FEW DAYS WHICH WILL GO TO PALESTINE TO DISCUSS WITH THE ARABS AND THE JEWS THE DETAILS OF THE PARTITION.

2. A DETAILED PLAN WILL BE SUBMITTED TO THE LEAGUE FOR CONSIDERATION AT ITS JANUARY SESSION.

3. THE LEAGUE WILL APPOINT A COMMISSION TO STUDY THE DETAILED PLAN AND EXPRESS THE LEAGUE’S ATTITUDE TOWARD IT. THE COMPOSITION OF THE LEAGUE COMMISSION HAS NOT YET BEEN DECIDED. IT IS UNDERSTOOD THAT POLAND DESIRES TO BE REPRESENTED, BUT THE LEAGUE PROBABLY WILL EMPOWER THE COUNCIL’S SUBCOMMITTEE OF THREE ELECTED YESTERDAY TO STUDY THE BRITISH PL.

4. AFTER ADOPTION OF THE REPORT OF ITS COMMISSION THE LEAGUE WILL APPOINT A BOUNDER DEMARCATION COMMISSION, WHICH WILL BE A COMMITTEE OF EXPERTS NOT DEALING WITH POLITICAL MATTERS, BUT ONLY WITH THE EXACT DELIMITATION OF FRONTIERS. THE BOUNDARY COMMISSION IS EXPECTED TO FINISH ITS WORK AND SUBMIT ITS REPORT TO THE LEAGUE FOR CONSIDERATION AT THE MAR 1938, SESSION OF THE COUNCIL, BUT IN ANY CASE NOT LATER THAN MAY.

IN URGING FAVORABLE ACTION BY THE COUNCIL, CAPT. EDEN TOLD ITS MEMBERS THAT HE WAS ASKING ONLY FOR GENERAL APPROVAL OF THE PARTITION PRINCIPLE. HE STRESSED THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WAS NOT COMMITTED TO ANY DEFINITE SCHEME AND DECLARED THAT AFTER THE NEW COMMISSION HAD WORKED OUT A PROVISIONAL PLAN, A FINAL BOUNDARY DEMARCATION COMMISSION WOULD BE REQUIRED.

“IT IS A PROBLEM,” CAPT. EDEN ASSERTED, “CONCERNING NOT ONLY ARABS AND JEWS, BUT THE LEAGUE AS A WHOLE. THE MANDATORY POWER CANNOT TAKE STEPS FOR MODIFICATION OF THE MANDATORY REGIME WITHOUT THE AUTHORITY OF THE LEAGUE. ALL I ASK AT THIS STAGE IS THE AUTHORITY TO PROCEED FORTHWITH WITH DETAILS OF THE SCHEME, IF POSSIBLE WITH THE COOPERATION OF JEWS AND ARABS, IT BEING UNDERSTOOD THAT NO SCHEME IS TO BE PUT INTO OPERATION WITHOUT FURTHER REFERENCE AND APPROVAL OF THE COUNCIL.”

IMMIGRATION CURB HANGS ON PARTITION STATUS

REFERRING TO THE QUESTION OF IMMIGRATION INTO PALESTINE, LIMITED TO 8,000 FOR THE EIGHT MONTHS ENDING NEXT MARCH, CAPT. EDEN POINTED OUT THAT HIS GOVERNMENT WILL NOT TAKE A DEFINITE DECISION UNTIL EXPIRATION OF THE PERIOD. FUTURE IMMIGRATION, HE SAID, WILL THEN DEPEND ON WHETHER PARTITION HAS ALREADY BEEN PROVISIONALLY ACCEPTED.

COL. JOSEF BECK, POLISH FOREIGN MINISTER, FOLLOWED CAPT. EDEN ON THE ROSTRUM, STRESSING POLAND’S DESIRE TO SEE PALESTINE A GOOD FIELD FOR IMMIGRATION AND URGING A SPEEDY SOLUTION IN ORDER TO AFFORD INCREASED IMMIGRATION POSSIBILITIES.

PIERRE ORTS OF BELGIUM, PRESIDENT OF THE MANDATES COMMISSION, ALSO ADDRESSED THE COUNCIL, EXPLAINING THE REASONS FOR THE COMMISSION’S DECISION (WHICH ACCEPTED PARTITION IN PRINCIPLE BUT RECOMMENDED AN “APPRENTICESHIP” PERIOD FOR THE PROPOSED SATES). M. ORTS INSISTED THAT THE IMMIGRATION LIMITATIONS SET BY THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE TEMPORARY REGARDLESS OF THE STATE OF NEGOTIATIONS IN MARCH, 1938.

BRITISH PLAN SEEN WINNING

IN HIS REPORT OF TUESDAY’S PROCEEDINGS AT GENEVA, CLARENCE K. STREIT, NEW YORK TIMES CORRESPONDENT, SAID “THE OUTLOOK IS THAT THE BRITISH WILL SUCCEED IN THEIR PLAN, THUS QUICKLY FINISHING THE WHOLE PALESTINE DISCUSSION IN THE COUNCIL WITH AN ENDORSEMENT OF THEIR (PARTITION) PRINCIPLE, WHICH THEY NEED FOR THEIR NEXT STEP.”

MR. STREIT POINTED OUT THAT NO MENTION WAS MADE IN CAPT. EDEN’S STATEMENT EITHER OF THE ROUND-TABLE CONFERENCE PROVIDED FOR IN THE RESOLUTION ADOPTED RECENTLY BY THE JEWISH AGENCY FOR PALESTINE, OR OF POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS OTHER THAN ALONG PARTITION LINES.