U.S. Will Not Reveal Palestine Policy Until U.N. Inquiry Body Reports, Marshall Says

It would be premature at this time for the United States to announce its policy on the Palestine issue, Secretary of State George C. Marshall said in a letter made public here today.

The letter was in answer to questions concerning this government’s policy on Palestine and the U.N. posed by 30 Republican Congressmen two weeks ago. Marshall said that development of the U.S. policy at this stage would “limit the full utilization” of the recommendations and report of the fact-finding committee which the special U.N. session will set up.

He also stated that the U.S. Government had agreed to the special session following discussions with British representatives and U.N. Secretary General Trygve Lie during which it was decided that the procedure for discussing the Palestine question should be of “unquestionable legality.” Replying to a question concerning the U.S. position on a trusteeship for Palestine, Marshall pointed out that no decision could be made until the mandatory requested a change from a mandate to a trusteeship.

The establishment of a United Nations trusteeship for Palestine was advocated here last night by Senator Claude Pepper of Florida, at a meeting sponsored by the American Christian Palestine Committee, which was attended by more than 1,000 persons.

Sen. Pepper declared that the San Francisco organizing conference of the U.N. should have written into the Charter a provision giving the international body control of all mandates. The meeting, which was called to “secure action for Palestine,” unanimously adopted a resolution urging the American Government to stand by its pledges in favor of a Jewish national home, and to press Britain to permit largescale Jewish immigration to Palestine.