The recognition by Britain of Syrian independence without the approval of the Mandates Commission of the League of Nations which holds the mandates for Syria and Palestine, may have far reaching results for Palestine since it sets a precedent of ending the mandate without even consulting the League.
This was pointed out here today by neutral diplomats commenting on the situation in the Near East. Normally the termination of the mandate regime, they said, would require a decision of the Mandates Commission and of the Council of the League of Nations. Both bodies, however, do not function at present, and the decision of the Allies with regard to Syria marks their determination not to allow considerations of formal procedure to interfere with the necessities dictated by political realism.
“It is not even certain that the present members of the Mandates Commission of the League of Nations will be notified of Syria’s new position,” one of the diplomates stated. He added that even if some meeting was convened, it is most doubtful whether the neutral members of the Council of the League of Nations would participate in it, since the majority of them consider the League no longer functioning. “Those states continue their membership in the League only because they hope that a day may come when the League is revived and turned into a powerful instrument for the security of all nations,” the diplomat declared.
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