COMPLETE EVACUATION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26619, 15 November 1947, Page 7

COMPLETE EVACUATION

BRITISH IN PALESTINE TROOPS NOT AVAILABLE FOR TRANSITION Rec. 10.30 p.m. NEW YORK, Nov. 13. Britain informed the Palestine Partition Sub-committee to-day that British troops would not be available for use. in Palestine to enforce any solution unacceptable to either the Arabs or Jews. Sir Alexander Cadogan said the British authorities had been instructed to plan for complete evacuation from Palestine by August 1, 1948. Sir Alexander Cadogan added that the fact that it would be impracticable to withdraw the last military contingents from Palestine before next summer did not imply that Britain would continue to maintain the civil

administration in Palestine throughout the intervening period. “On the contrary, we reserve the right to lay down the mandate and bring our civil administration to an end at any time after it has become evident that no settlement acceptable to the Jews and Arabs has been reached by the Assembly.” Reuter's correspondent at Lake Success says that the British statement on partition presents the United Nations with an entirely new situation. It leaves two important problems unsolved. The sub-committee members want to know: Will members of the United Nations Commission be allowed to enforce partition in areas where British military forces are in occupation, and will the British military forces co-operate sufficiently with the United Nations to dovetail their withdrawal from any area with the arrival of new administrative personnel?

Sir Alexander was unable to furnish answers to these, problems, and is awaiting instructions from London. The sub-committee adjourned till to-morrow. .