Shaukat Ali’s Invitation to Mr. Soklov to Address Moslem Congress in Jerusalem: Statement by Mr. Sok

Mr. Nahum Sokolov, the President of the Jewish Agency, stated to the J.T.A. to-day that in the course of a private conversation with him, Mr. Shaukat Ali mentioned that Mr. Sokolov might proceed to Palestine in order to state the Zionist case before the forthcoming Congress of Moslem leaders. Mr. Sokolov stated that, as repeatedly declared by Jewish leaders, the Jewish Agency would welcome the possibility of a Round Table Conference with representatives of the Arabs in order to arrive at an amicable understanding. Such a Conference must, however, be carefully prepared, and be preceded by preliminary negotiations. The appearance of the President of the Jewish Agency before the Islamic Congress would hardly constitute the suitable preliminary to a Round Table Conference.

In connection with the farewell meeting given to the Moslem delegates to the Indian Round Table Conference, at which Mr. Shaukat Ali made his statement about his invitation to Mr. Sokolov, the J.T.A. is informed that not all the prominent personages included in the list as present were actually at the meeting. The list was handed out to the press representatives by the organisers of the meeting as representing persons present, but many of them, including the Foreign Secretary, Sir John Simon, who was abroad, had only sent acceptances, and were not actually present.