EVACUATION OF PALESTINE

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5318, 3 February 1947, Page 5

EVACUATION OF PALESTINE

(Press Assn .-

women and children widespread protests against decision

-Rec. 9.80^ p.m.)

LONDON, Feb. 2. Evacuation of all British women and children from Palestine has been ordered by Lieutenaint-General Sfir Alain Cunningham, British High Commissioner. A spokesman announced that the evacuation would be completed by Tuesday. General Cunningham's order stated : "It has been decided that British women and children and certain other British civilians will be evacuated so that the Government armed forces should not be hampered in maintaining order." Mr. Moshe Shertok, -head of the Jewish Agency's political department, commenting in London, said it had come as a shoek to find that high Army authorities believed conditions had come to such a state that such a measure was neeessary. "It is not necessary to predict that the Army is preparing to take the initiative in a large-scale operation," he said. Only the fact that neither the Jews nor thc Arabs vrill take responsibility for a final rupture is preventing* the breabdown of the Palestine talks in. London, says Recter's diplomatic eorrespondent. The Government's deeision to evacuate women and children has created a. storm of piotest in Palestine from [people uireetly concemed. The British ' Community Counc'il in Jerusalem has protested to Mr. Attlee against the deeision and asked for support from . Mr. Churchill, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Geoffrey Fisher, and others. The British High Commissioner for Palestine, L.ieutenant-General Sir Alan Cunningham, has received the Chief Rabbi, Dr. Hertzog, and discussed the Palestine situation with him. Earlier, Dr. Herizog and another rabbi saw Dov Gruner in his prison cell in Jerusalem, and urged him to* si«>*n ar. anneal aa*ainst his death

sentenee. The period for a-ppealing t-nds within 14 hours. There has been a spec-ial meeting of the Jewish Agerey Executive in Jerusalem, and Reuter's eorrespondent says that it will discuss the case of Gruner. By now, some 200) British families in Palestine have been given details of the evacuation seheme. "I deprecate a quarrel, but if you are drawn. into a quarrel pugnacity and will-power cannot he dispensed with. It is a terrible thing to he drawn into a quarrel and be cowed out of doing your duty." This statement was made hy the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Churchill, in the House of Commons' debate on Palestine. Mr. Churchill declared that there were no British interests in Palestine, and no call of honour to stav there. It was probable that if the British left there would be civil war between the .Tews and Arabs, but the responsibility for stopping the war should be borne byi the United . iN'ations, not by "this poor, overhwrdened, injured country."

Britain was now spending between £30,000,00'0 and £40, 000, '000 a year in Palestine lceeping* 100,000 soldiers away from their homes. If the Palestine conference failedsto produce a solution which Britain could enforce effectively she should give notice that unless America came in on a 5'0-50 basis of bearing all the expense, odium and worry,. Britain would lay her mandate at the feet of the United Nations. Mr. Oliver Stanley (Con.) said

Britain for 18 months had had no definite policy and nothing could be m ore calculated than its absence to set community against community and both against Britain. In Haifa, the British Government has been urged to reconsider the order to quit Palestine insofar as it applies to male civilians. In Tel Aviv, pamphlet bombs have been exploded, scattering leafiets issued by the terrorist -organisation. They bore the slogan: "We will earry on the fight against Britain." It is stated in Washington that any of the 5000 Americaps in Palestine can leave the country if they wish, but no special steps to evaeuate them have been thought necessary.

Congressmen .are reported to be strongly opposed to Mr. Churchill's suggestion that the United States should share Britain's responsibility in Palestine, thoug'h manyi of them favour his alternative proposal, that the problem should be turned over to the United Nations. An agency report that camps are being prepared in Kenya for British evacuees from Palestine has been officially denied *in London. _ In Jerusalem last night, armed men entered a cinema, stopped the show, and projected a slflle calling* on the Jews to join the ranks of the Jewish terrorist organisr. tion .