The Palestine Conciliation Commission is sending Dr. Joseph E. Johnson, president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, to the Middle East on a mission to seek progress on the Arab refugee problem, it was ascertained here today. The commission consists of representatives of the United States, France and Turkey. The exact plans for Dr. Johnson’s departure, his itinerary, and other details will be revealed soon, either by the Commission or by Dr. Johnson.
Last spring, the General Assembly adopted a resolution instructing the PCC to report by next October 15 what progress it has made to date in regard to “repatriation” of the Arab refugees to Israel or their compensation by Israel. The spring resolution was based on one adopted in 1949 which mentioned not only repatriation and compensation of the refugees but also their resettlement in Arab lands. The 1949 measure also tied the refugee plans to peace negotiations between the Arab states and Israel.
Officially, the PCC’s selection of Dr. Johnson is still in the process of being cleared by Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold with the Middle East governments concerned–Israel and the Arab states. Today, Mr. Hammarskjold received a cable from Mrs. Golds Meir, Foreign Minister of Israel, informing him that Israel would be happy to receive Dr. Johnson any time he comes on his mission.
It is known here that, in June, the Washington Administration had proposed to the United Nations that the PCC send Auguste Lindt, Swiss Ambassador to the U.S. as an emissary to the Middle East. Mr. Lindt, however, rejected the proposal, on reported grounds that he could see no possibility of reporting progress on the issue.
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