DRAMATIC ISSUE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26630, 28 November 1947, Page 5

DRAMATIC ISSUE

Liberia May Cast Deciding Vote in Assembly

PALESTINE PARTITION PLAN

Rec. 8 p.m

NEW YORK, Nov. 26.

The final debate on the Palestine Partition issue was heard before the United Nations General Assembly to-day. Reuter’s correspondent says that a last-minute switching- of votes has thrown previous calculations into a turmoil, but the feeling still persists that the Palestine Partition Plan will * receive the required two-thirds of the assembly vote. Taking the known and reliably predicted votes into account the score now stands—for the partition 30, against the partition 16, and 11 abstentions or absent. On those figures the required two-thirds majority is 31. The margin is so close that the switching of only one vote will decide one of the most dramatic issues ever before the United Nations so that it appears

to be that the deciding vote now lies with small

Liberia. Although abstaining in the committee vote, the Liberian delegate has consistently supported the Arab case.

The United Nations high officials are already studying the problem of what happens if the partition does not pass. The agreed scheme now is to keep the assembly in session, reform the Palestine Committee and carry on from there.

Sir Carl Berendsen told the Assembly that New Zealand, which abstained in the committee, would now vote for the partition. Sir Carl said New Zealand was still not satisfied that sufficient provision had been made to put the partition into effect, but he explained: “If we must choose between a considered plan for partition on one hand and on the other the termination of the mandate and its replacement by nothing but chaos and confusion, we must choose partition.” Sir Carl began by saying that there had never been any doubt that New Zealand stood in principle for partition to which there seemed no alternative. He wanted, however, to emphasise the grave inadequacies of the Partition Plan in respect to its implementation and enforcement.

Sir Alexander Cadogan, giving Britain’s final word, said the United Kingdom would loyally accept any decision reached by the Assembly provided the decision did not conflict with Britain’s

already announced intention not

to participate in any plan not satisfactory to both the Arabs and the Jews. Unfortunately, Britain’s position had not been sufficiently taken into account.

Announcing the Philippines opposition to partition, Brigadier-general Carlos Romulo said there was no legal justification for it. In any case Palestine was mainly a moral issue. Did the United Nations members want to take responsibility for enforcing a plan “clearly repugnant to the valid nationalist aspirations of Palestine’s people ”? Mr Vassili Dendramis (Greece) said partition would lead to very great difficulties in enforcement because of opposition and Britain’s attitude. Mr J. L. Ilsley (Canada) said partition seemed the best of the possible courses, but Canada supported it with a heavy heart and many misgivings in the light of the threats of reprisals and talk of fire and sword. Haiti, which in the Palestine Committee abstained from voting on the partition question, declared that it would now vote against the plan. The Assembly adjourned until Friday. In a London message The Times Jerusalem correspondent reports that the chairman of the Jewish Agency, Mr David Ben-Gurion, in a speech at Tel-Aviv, said that even if a two-thirds majority for the partition of Palestine was not* obtained in the United Nations Assembly, this would not mean a change in the basic position, as meanwhile the mandatory rule had been eliminated and the Arab claim for domination in Palestine soundly defeated.

If the United Nations were to assume responsibility for partition they should also assume the duty of protecting the population of Palestine against possible disturbances, he said. Sir Carl- added that until the last moment he had endeavoured to have the clauses on implementation and enforcement strengthened. To some extent—to a small extent—-this has been done, but the measures proposed were far from sufficient.

The nations opposing partition gained support during the' final debate- on the question. The Philippines and Greece announced they would vote against, the Soviet-American proposal, which the Assembly’s Political Committee approved, by 25 votes to 13 yesterdayone vote short of the two-thirds majority required for Assembly approval. Siam voted against partition yesterday, but her vote was cancelled out when the Siamese delegation advised the United Nations to-day it would “ officially be absent ” because of the “internal situation in Siam.” In the morning session Sweden, Canada, Brazil, and the United States spoke in favour of partition, Yemen and Egypt against.

He added that the Jews must arm, train and mobilise to the full. If the Arabs were impressed with the strength of, the Jews, then the task of the Arab agitators to rouse the masses would be harder.