SITUATION ONE OF CONFUSION IN LONDON

Chronicle (Levin), 14 May 1948, Page 5

SITUATION ONE OF CONFUSION IN LONDON

Received Friday, 10.15 a.m. LONDON, May 13. Twenty-four hours before the end of the British mandate in Palestine the diplomatie situation in London was one of total confusion, says Reuters diplomatie correspondent. Only oue thing was clear — Britain surrenders her mandate at the appointed hour and will concentrate on a spee'dy evacuation. It is authorftatively stated thal Britain adheres to her intention to return to Transjordan before midnight on May 14 those units of the Transjordan Arab Legion which have been serving in Palestine under British command. Political quarters thought the question was now academie since it could be taken for granted that sucli units would return to Palestine immediately afterward. In London, at any rate, the Government's search for a neutral special commission for Jerusalem appears to have come to a standstill. A Foreign Office spokesman announced that the British political mission in Jerusalem, with Sir Hugo Dow at the head, would be ready to represent British interests througTiout Palestine from the time the mandate ended. The British United Press' Haifa correspondent says that the British blockade of Palestine had ended and an unrestricted flow of Jewish immigrants had begun. Two ships, one from Cyprus flying the Manamanian flag and the other a Rumanian ship from Constanta, docked at Haifa with a total of 460 immigrants. The British authorities did not interfere as the ships entered port. The Jewish authorities are making hasty preparations for the arrival of an estimated 10,000 Jews aboard the Panyork and Pancrescent expected on May 17. Haganah will call up all young men as they arrive.