State Department Does Not Intend to Lift Embargo on Shipment of Arms to Palestine

The State Department does not contemplate by change in its enlarge policy regarding export of arms and munitions to Palestine, under Secretary of State Robert Lovett said today.

Asked at his press conference whether the United States Government might ##evise its present policy if are commendation calling for the U.S. to supply arms and munitions were made by the United Nations Implementation Commission on Palestine, Mr. Lovett declined to speculate. He stated further that no studies were being made as to the possibility of an international force being used to implement the U.N. decision for partition.

To questions about the reported intention to send a marine detachment to ?uard the American consulate building in Jerusalem, Mr. Lovett said that purely exploratory conversations were held by the American Consul-General there with the local authorities about adequate protection for the consulate building, in case the local police were unable to provide a reasonable number of personnel for this purpose. No formal request was made to the local authorities for such protection, he said, nor was the type of guard specified. He pointed out that obviously a small group would be adequate in view of the size of the building.

Secretary of the Army Kenneth C. Royall announced here the cancellation of the sale of 200 tons of explosives originally purchased from the War Assets Administration for use in Palestine. The explosives will be placed in army stocks, the announcement said.

Describing the explosives as “engineer type demolition blocks,” Secretary Royall pointed out that the Army had assured itself that the trucking company involved in transporting the explosives was properly licensed for the movement of the Chicago.