The meeting of the Zionist Actions Committee slated for tomorrow to vote on participation in the London conference on Palestine has been postponed until Tuesday afternoon, because Berl Locker, who is on route here from London to report on negotiations with the British Government, has not yet arrived. Locker was due today, but his plans was grounded in Tripoli by engine trouble.
Meanwhile, a Jewish Agency spokesman said that “free representation” was a “sine qua non” for Agency participation in the conference This was interpreted to mean that Jewish leaders are still insisting upon release of Moshe Shertok and other Agency chiefs held in Latrun prison.
(The Manchester Guardian’s London corrsspondent said yesterday that contrary to rumors current there, it seems highly uncertain that Locker left with any assurances from the government that the imprisoned Agency leaders will be released and that those liable to internment, such as David Ben Gurion, will not be molested, should the Agency decide to join in the Palestine talks, If the Actions Committee decides on participation, the correspondent asserted,it will submit a list of its delegates to the government, which would then decide whether it was willing to release any of them who are interned.)
According to present plans, as soon as Locker arrives, he will proceed to Tel Aviv where he will address meetings of the central committees of the Palestine Labor Party and the Histadruth, which will then decide their stand on participation. Simultaneously, other factions within the Actions Committee will meet again to take a final decision. It is reported that sentiment for and against participation is about evenly divided in each party.
Agudas Israel representative Rabbi F.M. Gelernter has already arrived here from London to report to the Agudah central committee concerning the latest developments in the British capital.
Jamal Husseini and Emil Ghouri, leaders of the Palestine Arab Higher Executive, left yesterday for Alexandria to confer with the ex-Mufti of Jerusalem on their participation in the London talks. It is understood that several members of the exocutive are wavering and are inclined to accept the advice of the Arab League that it participate in the conference.
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