British-American Drift Must Be Stopped

Chronicle (Levin), 1 June 1948, Page 5

British-American Drift Must Be Stopped

(N.Z.P.A.-

-Reuter.

Coppriaht)

Received Monday, 7 p.m, LONDON, May 31. Fear that the gTowing pattern of Western diplomacy ixiay h.e shattered by events in and connected with Palestine, is causing gra've coneern in London: It is •based on the possibility of estrangement between Britain and Anierica without whose eollaboration there can be no genuine cooperation in Western Europe. The American accusations that Britain is determined to back the Arabs, have not been at all well received here, while a report'that President Truman is considering a loan to the Jews, coming at a moment when it was hoped a truee might be achieved, left London diplomatie eircles aghast. The fear is tliat if the situation is not eont.rolled, the m-ain purposes of both American and British foreign policy may be lost to sight. The Economist bluntly declares that if the present crisis is allowed to develop unchecked, the Americans will rai§e their arms embargo to supply the Jews with weapohs, and if Britain continues to fulfll its contraet to the Arabs and mamtain its special relationship with the military forces oi' King Abdullah, Britain and Anierica will in effect be fighting each other by proxy in the Middle East. Sueh a situation, it adds, will imrnediately aff'ect the wider field of foreign policy for if ^he British and Americans tight eaeh other in Palestine they will not collaborate anywhere else. It suggests that one result might be an end to Marshall aid which would j mean the petering ont of the i policy to rebuild Western" Europe. ! This would end hopes of collabI oration in other continents. The drift must be stopped at all , costs, declares the Economist. It suggests that the, ehief hope of Anglo-American policy in Palestine, should be sought in an agreed and vigorous attempt to iocalise the fighting, to prevent all outside intervention in the ' hope that in the shortest space of j time a balance of ff'orces will ] emerge in Palestine it'self. Thougli | it is not easy for lier, / Britain, it I advocates, should take the first | step. Sharp eriticism of MrFBevin is made by the Leftwing weekly New Statesman and Nation. The Foreign Secretary, it says, has ! never tronbted to conceal his violent personal opposition to Jewish claims for statehood. -In all his dealings with problems. (of Palestine) both great and small, he recklessly disregarded world opinion and conducted British j policy as though what was at stake was a personal cparrel be-> tween himself and the Jews of New York, and he has not omitted publicly to accuse the American President of capitulating to a Jewish vote. The journal does not overlook what it terms American vaccilation and adds: "Between them, Mr." Bevin and President Truman not only permitted the Middle East to drift to the very edge of a generai war, but also produeed a first rate crisis in Anglo-Ameri-can relations." It continues that the intoTerable situation ean be ended only if the Labour Govern- ■ ment takes off the "unfair to Britain" placard round its neck and shows a little statesmanship. The Arab League and Mr. Bevin, it declares, have got to accept a fait acco.mpli of a Jewish State in Palestine.^