BRITISH BENT ON GETTING CLEAR OF PALESTINE

Grey River Argus, 25 March 1948, Page 5

BRITISH BENT ON GETTING CLEAR OF PALESTINE

L.ONDON, March 23. The Colonial Secretary, Mr Creech Jones, referring to the American change of policy on Palestine, cold the House of Commons that the Government intended to stand firm on* the dates for the termination of its mandate and the of troops. „ The Foreign Secretary, Mr Bevm said that nothing the United Nations Assembly did could affect Britain’s coming out of Palestine. Referring to a suggestion that Britain might be handing Palestine over to chaos, Mr Bevin declared: “If the United Nations, in taking it on, has produced chaos, how has Britain handed it over to chaos? The quicker we get out the better.” He said that the British Government would support anything 'agreed on between the Arabs and Jews, but would not take part in enforcing a trusteeship or anything else on them. JEWS TO PROCLAIM STATE

The Jewish Agency has decider.' to proclaim a Jewish State in Palestine on May 16, the day after Britain relinquished her mandate. The Jewish Agency’s executive has sent urgent cablegrams to the lo members of the Central Zionist Council throughout the world summoning them to Palestine for an extraordinary meeting on April 4 to consider the crisis which has now developed at a result of America's reversal of policy.

Britain Passes Bill Ending Palestine Rule

(Rec. 9.0). LONDON, March 24. After sitting till 3 a.m., the House of Commons passed the Palestine Bill, providing for the ending of British jurisdiction on May 15. The Bill now goes to the House of Lords. The decision to proclaim a Jewish State was announced by the Jewish Agencv And the National Jewish Council in a joint statement after .a two-day meeting in Tel Aviv, says the Times Jerusalem correspondent. The statement said they would oopcse even a temporary trusteeship, and demanded the immediate recognition of the Jewish Provisional Government. It said that after May 15, Jews would co-operate with the United Nations in combating terror and the working of essential services, and reiterated that the Jews had no quarrel with the Arabs.