Conflicting Reports About Palestine's Needs

Chronicle (Levin), 6 August 1949, Page 5

Conflicting Reports About Palestine's Needs

Received Fridav, 8.25 p.m. NEW YORK, August 4. Dr. Ralph Bunche. acting United A'ations Palestine mediator, tudav urged the Seeurity t'ouucil to lift the embargo on the importation of arms into the A t i d d 1 e East. Ke said all restrietions, including those 011 imports and imnugrants, should be lifted. The objectivt now should be the restoration of thi lionnal t'onditions of peace. I)r. Bunche a'sked for a reaffirmation of the ceaseiire order in Palestine, ano said there was little doubt that both sides in the dispute desired to be freed from the many burdensome restrietions and interferences which were imposea under the truce. He said the truce now was obsolete sinee it had been superseded by armistiee agreements voluntarily entered into and agreed upon bj the parties eoncerned. He believed all outstanding obstacles to permanent. pouee, including the Arai) refugee.problem, could and would be overcomc by a mutual spirit of eonciliation ano by reeiproeal concessions. In view of the armistiee agreements a ceasefire order was not indispensable but would have the value of keeping the hand of the Seeurity Couneil in the Palestine situation pending its final settlement. Mr. Aubrey Eban (Israel) asked the Couneil to continue the embargo on arms for the Middle East. "From every corner of the Arab world we hear of plans for large-scale rearmament. Pnhappily these plans are aecompanieo by an offieially directed campaign oi publie propaganda emphasising that the wai" against Israel is not over and the seeond round is yet to be fought; that the military verdict of last year may be reversed; and that acquieseence in Israel 's existenee shoukl not be envis aged. "Israel will not allow itself to be overtaken. It will not in any eircurnstances sulfer itself to reach a state oi military inferiority which might be a temptation to a renewed assault," saio Mr. Eban.