U.S. Prepared to Bargain on Internationalization of Jerusalem; Britain Backs Statute

The United States is still committed to support the Conciliation Commission plan for internationalization of Jerusalem but on a bargaining basis, a spokesman for the American delegation declared today.

The U.S. representative said that in taking this stand the United States is “not inflexibly committed to every line” of the twenty-five point statute proposed as the basis of a U.N. regime.

At the same time a British delegation spokesman declared that “in the main” the British Government is still committed to support of the statute.

It is evident from these two independent statements that the Anglo-American policy on Jerusalem considers the internationalization statute as a starting point for the discussion which is scheduled to take place in the Political Committee in ten days to two weeks.

EGYPT PLACES DEMILITARIZATION OF JERUSALEM ON SECURITY COUNCIL AGENDA

Meanwhile, both delegations are reported to be “studying” the Egyptian move yesterday which placed the issue of the demilitarization of Jerusalem on the United Nations Security Council agenda. The Council, which is scheduled to meet again Friday, will complete its discussion of the question of world disarmament and the atomic bomb before proceeding to the Jerusalem problem.

In making the demand that the Jerusalem issue be placed on the agenda, Egyptian delegate Mahmoud Bey Fawzi based his position on a resolution calling for internationalization which was adopted by the General Assembly last December in Paris. The resolution declared that the earliest possible demilitarization of the city was needed as the first step to preparing it for an international regime. Fawzi Bey asked the Council to consider the issue before it comes up for debate in the 59-nation Political Committee of the General Assembly within about two weeks.

A report that Israel delegate Aubrey S. Eban, in the debate on the Italian colonies question, supported the Soviet proposal for Italian Somaliland, was denied here today. The Israel delegation has not gone all the way with the Soviet proposal for a U.N. trusteeship for Somaliland. Israel is at this juncture leaving open the question of administration under the trusteeship.