Britain Hopes For Success In Rhodes Talks

Chronicle (Levin), 29 March 1949, Page 5

Britain Hopes For Success In Rhodes Talks

. Received Tuesdav, 10.55 a.m. * LONDON, March 28. . The Britisn jboreiwn unuerSecretary, Mr. C. P. iviaynPw, com--menting in the House oi Uumu.ipii, tuaa.y on 'l raiisj oratui's requ^so'foi, BntiSh assistance wfih patrols along the ironUor near AKa'Da, saia Britain hoped Uiao a successfu. conciusion ro the Israen-Trans-. ^ordan cease fire ncgociafciclm would renuer such action unnecessary. Mr. Mayhew said it was only the presence oi a aeiensive BritisL force in Akaba which had stabilisec me sii/Uar.on ana enabled the Israeli-Transjordan negotiations tc proceed as lar as they had done. The mission of the British forces, he continued, was to defend A'kaba andi supporo Transjordan in cast Transjordan territory was attacked Mr. Mayhew addtd that after the conciusion -of the Israeii-Egyptian armistice, Israeli forces rnoved southward to the Guif of Akaba, thus contravening the injunctions of the Security Council and giving the Transjordan Government sufficient cause to fear Israeli intentions regardin°r Tranejordan's soulhern frontier. He denied that the Security Council resolution of May 29, 19^8, which called on the Governments not to introduce fighting personnel into Palestine and the Arab States during the cease fire, debarred Britain from reinforeing or altering her forces in the Middle East. He pointed out that Britain was not engaged in a i conflict. Mr. Mayhew said that a statement on these lines was being communicated to tne United Nations secretary-general. A United Nations official said in Rhodes today that the IsraeliTransjordan armistice talks were nearmg an end. The drafting of the final aerreement would begin tomorrow and signatures to the armistice were likely at the weekend.