The four-nation working group which is seeking to reconcile the American and Soviet proposals on implementation of the partition of Palestine today resumed its closed meeting with the American delegation offering a new plan, as a compromise, which would provide for a United Nations Palestine implementation commission chosen by the General Assembly, but placed under the jurisidiction of the Security Council. The U.S.S.R. has demanded that the Securit Council appoint the commission.
A.U.S. spokesman listed four points of difference between the original American proposal and that of today as follows:
1. The United Nations implementation commission, although still consisting of a high commissioner and two other members elected by the General Assembly and ?rating within the terms of reference laid down by the Ascembly, shall both supervise and assist in transfering governmental powers from the Mandatory to the two independent states and the proposed trust territory of the city of Jerusalem.
2. The U.N. commission elected by the General Assembly shall report to and be subject to any instructions issued by the Security Council on matters affecting international peace and security.
3. The U.N. Commission may report to the Trusteeship Council on matters other than peace and security, as necessary.
4. The date for termination of the mandate shall be agreed upon between the Security Council and the mandatory power following a recommendation from the U.N. commission, but in no event will it be later than July 1, 1948 at which time the Mandate shall terminate and independence of the two states shall be achieved.
U.S. delegate Hershel V. Johnson further proposed that the U.N. commission should make its final report to the next session of the General Assembly. The spokesman pointed out that the U.S., in bringing the Trusteeship Council into the partition picture for the first time, does not imply that the United States foresees a U.N. trusteeship for Palestine. The American delegation, he said, made the trusteeship suggestion firstly, because the Council will be concerned with Jerusalem and, secondly, since the Council has had the most experience of any U.N. organ in bringing non-independent states through the various stages to independence.
Asked by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency for his opinion of the new American proposal, Soviet delegate Semyon Tsarapkin said that it is the same as his opinion of the previous American plan. Asked whether he thought there were any grounds for compromise, Tsarapkin indicated that the Soviet delegation opposed the new proposal and still stood by its own plan.
Spiking reports that the Assembly may adjourn without deciding the Palestine issue, and that the U.S. may suggest referral of the problem to the “Little Assembly,” the American delegation today reiterated its determination that a decision on the UNSCOP partition plan be taken at this session of the Assembly.
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