THE FRANK MEMORANDUM PURPORTED TO HAVE BEEN WRITTEN BY DR. CHAIM WEIZMANN, WORLD ZIONIST LEADER, ON A CONVERSATION WITH BRITISH COLONIAL SECRETARY WILLIAM G. A. ORMSBY-GORE HAD NOT BEEN REPUDIATED TODAY BY EITHER MAN.
(THE NEW YORK TIMES REPORTED THAT DR. WEIZMANN, IN ZURICH, CONFIRMED THAT A CONVERSATION HAD TAKEN PLACE AND THAT HE HAD WRITTEN SUCH A MEMORANDUM, DATED JULY 19, DR. WEIZMANN DECLARED, THE TIMES SAID, THAT IF THE DOCUMENT PRODUCED BY MEIR GROSSMAN LEADER OF THE JEWISH STATE PARTY, AND PUBLISHED BY THE JEWISH CHRONICLE IN LONDON, WAS A TRUE COPY: “I DO NOT KNOW HOW MR. GROSSMAN OBTAINED IT; HE HAD NO BUSINESS TO PUBLISH IT.)
DR. WEIZMANN WAS REPORTED TO BE CONSIDERING DISCIPLINARY ACTION BY THE ZIONIST ORGANIZATION AGAINST MR. GROSSMAN.
BESIDES THE DISCUSSION REGARDING HAIFA, IN WHICH DR. WEIZMANN WAS RECORDED AS TELLING MR. ORMSBY-GORE THAT IF THE BRITISH ADMIRALTY TRIED TO “COLLAR” THAT CITY, THE ZIONISTS WOULD “MAKE THINGS EXTREMELY UNPLEASANT FOR THEM AT GENEVA,” THE PUBLISHED VERSION OF THE MEMORANDUM REPRESENTED THE COLONIAL SECRETARY AS MAKING IMPORTANT PROMISES TO THE ZIONIST CHIEF.
HE WAS QUOTED AS AGREEING TO INCLUSION IN THE JEWISH STATE OF THE NEW JEWISH SECTION OF JERUSALEM, AND CONCEDING THAT THE ROYAL COMMISSION’S PROPOSAL, EXCLUDING THE RUTENBERG POWER STATION AND WORKS OF THE PALESTINE POTASH COMPANY FROM JEWISH TERRITORY, WOULD “HAVE TO BE ADJUSTED.”
MR. ORMSBY-GORE WAS FURTHER REPORTED AS SAYING THE ROYAL COMMISSION’S PROPOSAL TO ESTABLISH A JOINT PORT BETWEEN THE PREDOMINANTLY ARAB CITY OF JAFFA AND NEIGHBORING JEWISH CITY OF TEL AVIV WAS “UNTHINKABLE.” DISCUSSION REGARDING CITIES WHICH THE ROYAL COMMISSION RECOMMENDED SHOULD BE TEMPORARILY LEFT UNDER BRITISH CONTROL BROUGHT NO TANGIBLE CONCESSIONS.
“I THEN TOOK UP THE QUESTION OF TEMPORARY MANDATES OVER THE FOUR TOWNS IN THE JEWISH STATE,” THE PURPORTED MEMORANDUM CONTINUES. “MR. ORMSBY-GORE AGREED THAT THESE SHOULD BE LIQUIDATED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. HE ADDED THAT THE ONLY DIFFICULTY WITH REGARD TO THESE WOULD BE IN THE CASE OF ACRE, WHICH FOR HISTORICAL REASONS IS ESPECIALLY BOUND TO ENGLAND. HE THOUGHT ACRE WOULD BE THE LAST OF THE TOWNS TO BE RELEASED.”
WHEN MR. ORMSBY-GORE ASKED DR. WEIZMANN FOR HIS OWN OPINION ON PARTITION, THE PURPORTED MEMORANDUM SAYS:
“I REPLIED THAT IF THE POINTS I HAD RAISED IN THE INTERVIEW WERE SETTLED TO OUR SATISFACTION I PERSONALLY WOULD LOOK WITH FAVOR ON THE SCHEME.”
THE COLONIAL SECRETARY IS CITED AS SAYING HE EXPECTED THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS TO RELEASE BRITAIN FROM THE PALESTINE MANDATE POSSIBLY EARLY IN OCTOBER, AND THAT AFTER BOUNDARY, POPULATION TRANSFER AND FINANCE COMMISSIONS COMPLETED THEIR WORK, TWO YEARS WOULD BE REQUIRED FOR DRAFTING TREATIES BETWEEN BRITAIN AND THE ARABS AND BRITAIN AND THE JEWS.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
