"MINOR BOMBSHELL”

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26625, 22 November 1947, Page 7

"MINOR BOMBSHELL”

UNDIVIDED CONTROL IN PALESTINE BRITAIN’S INSISTENCE Rec. 11 p.m. NEW YORK, Nov. 20. Sir Alexander Cadogan told the Assembly’s Palestine Committee today that Britain could not agree to share the administration of Palestine temporarily with a United Nations commission. A sub-committee had recommended that a commission should go to Palestine immediately to prepare to take over the full administration when the British mandate ended. Sir Alexander commented that no better way could be found of . creating contusion and disorder. Obviously such division of authority would have disastrous consequences. As long as the British Government held the mandate, it must insist on having undivided control. He assured the committee that this did not imply any change of Britain’s plan to withdraw from Palestine as quickly as possible. The British delegate’s statement was something of a “minor bombshell.” Members of the Partition Sub-com-mittee looked at one another with puzzled expressions, realising that Britain’s statement upset many important provisions in their implementation report. Mr Ksavfry Pruszynski (Poland), chairman of the Partition Sub-com-mittee, immediately proposed an adjournment to give time for consultation with Governments, and described the British statement as “ fraught with grave consequences.” The committee adjourned full tomorrow.