IMPORTANT CHANGES IN THE BRITISH PARTITION PLAN FOR PALESTINE, IN LINE WITH JEWISH DEMANDS, HAVE BEEN PROMISED BY WILLIAM G. A. ORMSBY-GORE, COLONIAL SECRETARY, TO DR. CHAIM WEIZMANN, PRESIDENT OF THE WORLD ZIONIST ORGANIZATION, THE JEWISH CHRONICLE ASSERTED TONIGHT, ACCORDING TO THE HAVAS NEWS AGENCY.
THE ORGAN PUBLISHED A DOCUMENT PURPORTING TO BE A CONFIDENTIAL SUMMARY BY DR. WEIZMANN OF A CONVERSATION WITH ORMSBY-GORE.
THE BRITISH MINISTER WAS SAID TO HAVE INDICATED THAT HIS DECLARATION TO COMMONS ON THE PALESTINE SITUATION WOULD BE RATHER VAGUE AND TO HAVE WARNED DR. WEIZMANN THAT HE EXPECTED THE PROPOSED MODIFICATIONS WOULD ENCOUNTER DIFFICULTIES.
ORMSBY-GORE, ACCORDING TO THE REPORT, RAISED THE HAIFA QUESTION, DECLARING THE ADMIRALTY WAS INSISTING THAT SOME BRITISH CONTROL OF THIS STRATEGIC PORT BE RETAINED.
“I REPLIED THAT THE ADMIRALTY HAD UNFORTUNATELY WAKED UP FOUR YEARS TOO LATE,” DR. WEIZMANN WAS QUOTED AS SAYING. “WE FORESAW THIS PROBLEM AND TRIED TO IMPRESS IT UPON THEM TEN YEARS AGO.
“I ADDED THAT THE ADMIRALTY COULD GET ALL THEY ALL THEY WANTED OUT OF US BY A DIRECT AGREEMENT, BUT NOT THROUGH THE GOVERNMENT ITSELF. IF THEY TRIED TO COLLAR HAIFA, WE SHOULD MAKE THINGS EXTREMELY UNPLEASANT FOR THEM AT GENEVA.”
ORMSBY-GORE REFUSED TO COMMENT ON THE REPORT WHEN HE WAS QUESTIONED BY NEWSPAPERMEN TONIGHT, HAVAS SAID.
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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.
