Britain Announces It Will Consult U.s., Jews, Arabs, Before Acting on Palestine Report

The British Government announced today that it is continuing its study of the recommendations of the Anglo-American Palestine committee, but will have no statement to make until it has completed consultations with the United States Government and Arab and Jewish representatives. The full text of the statement, which was released by the Foreign Office, reads as follows:

“His Majesty’s Governments are continuing their examination of the report submitted by the Angle-American Committee of Inquiry regarding the problems of European Jewry and Palestine. They will not be in a position to announce their decisions on the committee’s recommendations concerning Palestine until they have completed their consultations with the United States Government and have also consulted leaders of both the Arabs and the Jews.

“This procedure is in accordance with pledges given by His Majesty’s Government when the formation of the committee was announced, and on earlier occasions. They note that the United States Government have given a similar assurance that their decision on the report will not be taken until Arabs and Jews have been consulted.”

A majority of the external affairs group of the Labor Party in Parliament was understood today to have approved the report of the Anglo-American Committee, while the minority argued that other nations than Britain should assist in finding homes for displaced Jews.

(The Syrian Government last night issued an official denial of a report that the Soviet minister in Damascus had assured the Government that Russia would back Arab demands, if the Arab League took the Palestine issue before the U.N. Security Council.)

In the House of Commons today, Colonial Secretary George Hall denied knowledge of an alleged scheme to settle 30,000 Jews on the island of Cyprus. He said that at present there are only 107 Jews on the island, which offers no opportunity for large scale settlement.