U.N. Palestine Committee Leaving Next Wednesday; Completes Aloption of Procedure Rules

The United Nations inquiry committee on Palestine today announced that it will leave New York on June 11 and will arrive in Jerusalem two days later, ready to start hearings. The announcement was cabled by the committee to the Palestine authorities.

The committee today completed the adoption of 31 provisional rules of procedure and will meet on Saturday to consider the written statements from organizations which have lodged applications for a hearing.

The committee agreed that all its meetings, including those of sub-committees, should be public unless otherwise designated. All decisions are to be taken by a majority vote of those present and voting, not counting abstentions. An equal vote will constitute a rejection.

In today’s cable to Palestine the committee announced its readiness to receive testimony from interested groups as well as that of interested individuals and qualified persons, preferably in writing because of the pressure of time, although requests for oral hearings will be considered.

U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL WARNS STAFF TO AVOID DISCUSSION OF PALESTINE ISSUE

Members of the U.N. staff accompanying the inquiry committee were warned today by Secretary General Trygve Lie to be “extremely cautious” in their personal conduct and their utterances. He emphasized that even a casual word of a political or religious nature by any member of the staff could cause embarrassment to the whole mission.

“Even in your off-duty hours, you must studiously avoid discussion of issues linked directly or indirectly with Palestine,” he stated, stressing the fact that the committee was going to a territory “where human relationships have been for an extended period dangerously strained, where religious differences exist, and where domestic issues are in an acute stage.”

The (##) discussions before leaving (##) Jerusalem, to get general background information on Palestine and some “atmosphere” and orientation, as well as information as to the probable reactions of the population of Palestine to possible solutions of the problem.

The Jewish Agency said today that if U.N. Syrian delegate Faris el Khouri felt that the documents prepared as background material for the committee contained too much on Jewish achievements in Palestine, “he should address his complaint to history.” The Agency also criticized the documents, however, declaring that they relied too much on the “inaccurate and prejudiced” report of the Palestine Government to the Anglo-American inquiry committee.

It was learned that each member of the secretariat will have $15,000 worth of life insurance, and each delegate $30,000. The delegates themselves will pay for their additional coverage.