ILLEGAL TRANSPORT TO PALESTINE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 10, Issue 20, 4 September 1946, Page 5

ILLEGAL TRANSPORT TO PALESTINE

CONCERN IN BRITAIN CO-OPERATION REQUESTED TO HALT TRAFFIC It is observed in London that the British Government has for a con- , siderable time been seriously concerned about the steady flow of tens of thousands of Jews heading from Central Europe for Palestine, without a legal permit to enter Palestine as immigrants. The present legal v ' quota of Jewish immigrants to Palestine is 1500 monthly. All immigrants in excess of that quota are illegal, and those entering are deducted from the legal quota.

The problem of checking this flow is" as complex as the methods Employed to promote it, and the routes followed are devious. The whole movement is believed to be the work of a highly developed and widely articulated organisation.

In the diplomatic field the British Government has recently made representations to the Governments of France, Poland, Belgium, Holland, Italy and Rumania urging every possible precaution to prevent the departure the illegal Jewish immigrants bound for Palestine.

In connection with sailings from Rumanian ports, the Russian Government’s co-operation, has been requested. It is, however, extremely difficult to detect all the multifarious devices resorted to, including forged ships’ papers, passports and visas.

In Germany, the British authorities, as the Commander-in-Chief, Sir Sholto Douglas, announced re r ~ cently, are taking extensive measures to seal the British Zone against further infiltrations of illegal refugees from the east, including Jews from Poland.

At the same time, the United States Commander-in-Chief, General J. Mcnarney, stated that all organised movements of "Jewish refugees attempting to enter the American zones in Germany and Austria would be turned back.

There can be little doubt, it isfelt in. London, that the movement of Jewish refugees toward Palestine received a powerful impetus from, the recommendation in the AngloAmerican committee of inquiry’s reports that 100,000 Jewish immigrants should be admitted to Palestine as soon as possible.

The possibility of giving effect to this recommendation is linked up with the whole question Of the future of Palestine. ’

In the British Government’s view this recommendation cannot be considered in isolation from any general plan for Palestine, and it could not be fully implemented without American co-operation.

The plan for a federal solution* unanimously proposed by the Brit-* ish and American experts, has been, considered by President Truman* whose decision is expected shortly*