JEWISH QUESTION

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 66, Issue 304, 5 October 1946, Page 5

JEWISH QUESTION

PRESIDENT TRUMAN MAKES STATEMENT IMMIGRATION SHOULD BEGIN AT ONCE (N.Z. Press Association —Copyright.) (Rec. 12.10.) WASHINGTON, Oct. 4. President Truman, in a Yom Kippur Day statement which was cabled to Mr Attlee, said: “ jn view of the fact that winter will come before the Palestine Conference in London can be resumed, I believe that substantial immigration to Palestine cannot await a solution to the Palestine problem and should begin at once. “Preparations for this have already been made by the United States Government, which is ready to lend its immediate assistance. I state again that Ihe immigration laws of other countries, including the United States, should be liberalised with a view to the admission of displaced persons. “I am prepared to make such a recommendation to Congress, and to continue as energetically as possible in collaboration with others on the whole problem of displaced persons.

“Furthermore, should a workable solution for Palestine be devised, 1 would be willing to recommend to Congress a plan for economic assistance of Palestine’s development.”

President Truman’s statement recalled that he repeatedly urged the admission, of 100,000 Jews to Palestine. He added that he had been unable to support the Morrison plan for provincial autonomy, which was widely opposed in the United States. “Meanwhile the Jewish Agency proposed a solution through the creation of a viable Jewish State in control of its own immigration and economic policies in an adequate area of Palestine instead of the whole of Palestine. The Agency also proposed the immediate immigration of 100,000 Jews,” said the President. “This proposal received widespread attention in the United States, and it is my belief that a solution along these lines would be supported by public opinion here. I cannot believe the gap between the proposals is too great to he bridged by men of reason and good will. The United States Government could support such a solution.”