The Security Council has postponed its discussion of the Palestine issue until Tuesday for technical reasons, it was announced here during the week-end. Previously, the Council was scheduled to begin work on the first progress report of the Implementation Commission, which was submitted to the Council last week, as the first point of its agenda tomorrow. Simultaneously, it was understood here that the Palestine Commission will have completed its special report on the Palestine security situation by Tuesday.
During the week-end, it was also revealed that the five-member commission will ask the British to permit it to undertake four specific steps in preparation for the formation of militias for the Jewish and Arab states in advance of the British surrender of the Mandate. The four steps, outlined by the Commission as “preparatory” are: 1. Designation of cantonment areas; 2. Recruitment; 3. Training; 4. Equipment.
The Commission’s decision to make a formal request concerning the four “preparatory” stages followed a report by Philippine delegate Vicente J. Francisco, who has been negotiating with British representatives here on the question of creating a militia before May 15. Sen. Francisco stated that the British Government wanted sore specific information as to what the Commission meant by “preparatory” steps. Other points on which negotiations between Sen. Francisco and the British continue include the eventual disposition of arms, equipment and stores owned by the Palestine police force.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
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.
