Crucial Point in Negotiations Between British Government and Jewish Agency Due Today

The crucial point in the negotiations between the British government and the Jewish Agency is expected to be reached Monday when the conference between representatives of both sides is due to resume its adjourned sessions. Meanwhile there still exists a wide diversion of views between the government and the Jewish Agency.

The Jewish spokesmen hold that the entirety of the problem should be reviewed without basing the negotiations on the recently issued White Paper which the Jewish leaders consider an unacceptable basis for discussion. While it does not seem likely that the government will rescind the White Paper or even introduce substantial changes a new interpretation of that document is assumed to be probable.

The most important aspects of the situation are the problems of land purchase, immigration and the antagonistic attitude of British officialdom in Palestine. Particular attention is devoted to the projected fund of $12,500,000 to be chiefly spent on the settlement of Arabs. It is pointed out in Jewish circles that the Jews should secure fifty percent in the development scheme which provides for settling 10,000 families on the land, as being more in accord with the stipulations of the Palestine Mandate which impose upon the

Mandatory Power the definite obligation of promoting close settlement of the Jews on the land without providing for the promotion of Arab settlement.

Among the Jewish leaders, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency learns, the view is held that the government could easily solve this problem by settling the Arabs in Transjordania.

Jewish leaders feel that this conference must definitely establish what the basis of the future Jewish work in Palestine will be. However, whatever the results of the conference may be, final decisions from the Jewish side can be made only by the Administrative Committee of the Jewish Agency, and such decisions could not be reached sooner than ten days after the conference ends.