GRAVE CONSEQUENCES FEARED.

Chronicle (Levin), 27 March 1948, Page 5

GRAVE CONSEQUENCES FEARED.

(N.Z.F.A,

Reuter,

TRUMAN'S COMMENT ON CHANGED POLICY IN PALESTINE

Copyrtyht) - - ..

Re,ceived Friday, 8.50 p.m. ^ \ - . * WASEI^GTQN, March 2^.' President Truman told a press eonferenee foday that tlie Unitefl States w.oiiljd appeal to tbe . Security Gouncil to arr.ange ari • immediate tru.ee and a eonferenee between an(^ dews ^.av bloodshed in Palestnie. He warned that unless .emerg.ency qetion was.taken tbere would be'eonsequenees in Palestine of fh.e grayest sort involving the peaee of the world. The. President said tbe United Stafes reversed its origmal- - stand for partjtion because partition e.ould not. b.e enlorced without ■ Ameriean troops. , _ B . •. Mr. Truman said. however,. that the Uhi-ted States propqsal • for a temporary United Nations trust.eeship did not- mean th.e final abandonment o'f partition. "Trusteeship is not proposed as a substitute for a partition plan but as an efbqrt to fill the vaeuunix soon to be ereatod by the termination of .the mandate." Asked wbether the United States had requested Brifain t.o continue in Palestine after May 15, Mr. Truman said: "Of eourse o we did not want the British tp leave. They were supposed to stay until August 15, but suddenly they got a not ion tp leave on May 15I don't know why. '' He added empbatieally : "I .don't l'lin tlie British Oqvernmcnt either." Al'ferwards British offieials said -th o President 's implication that Britain had ag'Veed to stay in Palestine until August 15 and then ehanged her mind was "inaecurate.'J Reliable United Nations sourees report that speeial State Pppa rtment emissai-ies are in London trying to negotiate British siip])oi't for the Ameriean selieme for a United Nations trusteeship 111 Palestine and tbat'Britain has reacted favourably so far. • The United Press says the report dqvetailed with thp jheory •qf many observers at Lake Suec.ess that the Ameriean formufa for junking partition hinged largely on the hope that Britain could be. nersuaded to extend her deadline for l'eaving Palestine. -

Ilundreds of Ai"ibs swept^ down on tlie Jewisli settlement of Xecv Yeeacob, a-few miies from Jerusalem, kib ing at lcast eight Jevvs. Otlier' Arabs miiied a luis, killing eleven .Jevvs, on tluMounL Scopus roiui to Jerusalem. Two liundred . Arabs ambusbed a Jewisli colony eonvoy of 60 vehicles betvveon Tel Aviv and Jerusalem and killed L2 Jevvs aiul. wounded 50. Rpad iiiiiios blevv up three ears and inaehine gun and rifle tire disabled three otliers. Tlie Arabs claimed to have blown up four buildings in tlie Jewisli Venieii Moshe distriet of Jerusalem. The ex.plosion shattercd windows nearly a mile away. Himultaiieouslv the Aralis, attaeked the distriet vvith=- mortar and machinegun tire. When the British ' Commander-in-

Chief of Palestine (Lient.-General MacMillan) and Brigadier Glubb Pasha, coinmander of the Transjordan Ara') Legiqu, arrived unexpeetedly at the scene' of the ^ruJi * attaek at Xpev Yaacob, General MacMillan intervcned with the Arabs to save the iivep of the' Jewisli survivors. General MacMillan and Brigadier Glubb Pasha found Jewisli dead and dving littering the highway. GeneraJ AlacMillan personally signaJled police headquarters in Jerusalem for inediea! aid and ainbulanees. He interceded with the Arabs for a temporary truce. (iCiieral MiicAlillan and Brigadier Glubb Pasha then helped British troops and police to evacuate the Jevvish casualties. Fourteen Jews were killed.