SINCE NO LEGISLATION IS INVOLVED THERE WILL BE NO VOTE NEXT TUESDAY WHEN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS FORMALLY DEBATES THE ROYAL COMMISSION’S REPORT RECOMMENDING TRIPARTITION OF PALESTINE AS A SOLUTION OF THE “IRRECONCILABLE CONFLICT” BETWEEN ARABS AND JEWS.
THE DEBATE WILL MARK THE FIRST FULL DISCUSSION OF PARTITION IN COMMONS, WHERE SENTIMENT IS BELIEVED PREDOMINANTLY IN FAVOR OF THE ROYAL COMMISSION’S RECOMMENDATIONS. CHIEF CRITICISM IS EXPECTED TO BE LEVELED AGAINST SUCH DETAILS AS THE SUGGESTED BOUNDARIES OF THE JEWISH STATE AND THE REQUIREMENT THAT IT PAY SUBVENTIONS TO THE ARAB STATE. OTHER CRITICISM MAY BE AIMED AT THE EXCLUSION OF JERUSALEM FROM THE JEWISH STATE, WITH STRONG DEMANDS BEING VOICED FOR INCLUSION OF AT LEAST THE NEW OR JEWISH PART OF THE CITY.
LORD SNELL TODAY GAVE NOTICE THAT THE WILL RAISE THE QUESTION OF THE REPORT IN THE HOUSE OF LORDS NEXT WEEK.
“MARCHING ORDERS FROM MUSSOLINI?”
THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WAS ACCUSED IRONICALLY OF “TAKING ITS MARCHING ORDERS FROM MUSSOLINI,” IN A DISCUSSION OF THE PARTITION PLAN LAST NIGHT IN COMMONS.
THE SUGGESTION WAS MADE BY COMMANDER OLIVER LOCKER-LAMSON, CONSERVATIVE, WHO ASKED COLONIAL SECRETARY WILLIAM G. ORMSBY-GORE WHETHER THIS POLICY “ISN’T A GREAT MISTAKE.” THE COLONIAL SECRETARY DID NOT ANSWER.
IN REPLY TO ANOTHER QUESTION, MR. ORMSBY-GORE DECLARED THAT “PALESTINE HAS NEVER BEEN A PART OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE.”
THE QUESTIONER, SOMERSET DE CHAIR, CONSERVATIVE, HAD ASKED WHETHER THE GOVERNMENT INTENDED TO GIVE EFFECT TO RECOMMENDATIONS BY THE ROYAL COMMISSION THAT THE PROPOSED JEWISH AND ARAB STATES CEASE TO BE PARTS OF THE EMPIRE.
(THE ROYAL COMMISSION REPORT DID NOT ALLUDE TO PALESTINE AS PART OF THE EMPIRE).
TESTIMONY TAKEN BY THE COMMISSION WILL NOT BE PLACED BEFORE THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS MANDATES COMMISSION WHEN BRITAIN APPLIES FOR APPROVAL OF PARTITION, MR. ORMSBY-GORE SAID, WHEN QUESTIONED BY MAJOR HARRY L. NATHAN, LABORITE. THE TESTIMONY WILL NOT BE READY FOR PRESENTATION, MR. ORMSBY-GORE SAID, ADDING THAT THE ROYAL COMMISSION REPORT CONTAINED ALL THE MATERIAL FACTS.
HE REJECTED MAJOR NATHAN’S DEMAND THAT A LARGE-SCALE RELIEF MAP OF PALESTINE, SHOWING THE PROPOSED BOUNDARIES, BE DISPLAYED IN THE COMMONS TEA-ROOM TO AVOID MISUNDERSTANDINGS. THE ROYAL COMMISSION ITSELF HAD ADVISED THAT A BOUNDARY COMMISSION BE APPOINTED TO SETTLE THE FINAL FRONTIERS, MR. ORMSBY-GORE POINTED OUT.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
