U.S. Delegation at San Francisco Will Try to Avoid Interjection of Palestine Issue

With the United Nations Security Conference opening Wednesday, it became clear today that the United States delegation, no matter was hard-pressed by Jewish delegations here, will try to avoid direct reference to the Palestine question during the conference’s discussion of changes of status for mandated territories.

One member of the American delegation arriving here today indicated that there are a number of reasons why this conference should not permit itself to become involved in the complicated Palestine problem, other than establishing a machinery for handling the future of mandated areas in general.

First, he said, it would not be in the interests of the conference to permit any discussion with regard to nationalities since there are other nationalities who, like the Jews, would then claim the right to voice their grievances. Secondly, it must not be forgotten that there are official delegations of Arab countries participating in the conference and they would be provoked to raise the Arab Jewish issue should the Palestine problem be touched upon.

Thirdly, he continued, references to Palestine would involve the British delegation whose attitude is that Prime Minister Churchill has already announced that the Palestine question will not be solved until after the war. Fourthly, any discussion of Palestine would lead to a split among the consultants designated by American Jewish (##) who differ basically in their views on the Jewish Commonwealth issue. Fifthly, any detailed discussion regarding the Palestine Mandate is undesirable as long as the international trusteeship plan for mandated lands in general has not yet been accepted by the major powers assembled at San Francisco.

As the situation stands today, on the eve of the opening of the Conference, one cannot foretell the British attitude towards the idea of placing Palestine under international trusteeship, though all indications point to the fact that Russia and the United States would support the proposal. On the other hand, French delegation spokesmen told me that the French Government is determined to terminate its mandatery obligations in Syria in favor of recognizing Syria as fully independent, providing that the part of Tripoli in Lebanon is put under international trusteeship with France as one of the trustees.

NO UNITED JEWISH FRONT AT CONFERENCE, SPOKESMEN INDICATE

Meanwhile, leaders of Jewish groups who arrived here from New York to act as consultants to the American delegation are preparing to press their viewpoints both on the American delegation and on diplomats of other nations participating in the conference.

It does not look as if there will be a united front among the Jewish consultant since American Jewish Conference spokesmen today indicated that they are not inclined to form a common front with the American Jewish committee unless the latter group rejoins the American Jewish Conference.

None of the leaders of the American Jewish Committee have arrived as yet but the American Jewish Conference delegation is already here in full force headed by Henry Monsky, assisted by Israel Goldstein.