PARTITION PLAN

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 68, Issue 133, 17 March 1948, Page 3

PARTITION PLAN

Implementation Will Be

Difficult

SECURITY MUST FIRST BE RESTORED (N.Z.P. A.—Copyright). NEW YORK, March IG. Unless security is restored in Palestine, the implementation of the Assembly resolution for the partition of the Holy Land will be impossible, according to the Palestine Commission, which has reported to the Security Council on information received from the Commission’s advance party in Jerusalem.

“Present indications,” says the report, “point to the inescapable conclusion that when the irAmdate terminates, Palestine is likely to suffer* severely from administrative chaos and widespread strife and bloodshed.” The report asserts:

(1) Arab resistance makes it impossible to establish a provisional council of government in the proposed Arab State by April 1. (2) Although the Commission already has taken the preliminary steps to select the Jewish Provisional Council, this will be unable to carry out its functions before the mandate terminates.

The report describes Britain’s refusal to permit the preliminary organisation of militias as unsatisfactory, and says that municipal police forces would be an “inadequate device.” It therefore concludes that only by/ the creation of an international force for Palestine can the situation be met. \EI Husseini, Mufti of Jerusalem, arrived unexpectedly in Beirut to attend a political meeting of the Arab League. The Foreign Ministers of the Arab States are assembling at Beirut “to organise a policy and plans according to developments” in the Palestine situation. Details of Evacuation A British military announcement giving first details of the evacuation of men and stores from Palestine, says that several thousand troope and 145,000 tons of stores, including 2000 tons of ammunition and ISOO R.A.F. and Army vehicles have already been withdrawn, -says the Jerusalem correspondent of “The Times.” Part of the stores are being taken straight to the United Kingdom and as much as possible of non-military material which is not required is being sold to the highest bidder, but the announcement emphasises that no arms or ammunition will be sold or left behind. It also points out that Haifa is the only suitable withdrawal port and sufficient shipping has only just become available. The aim is to load 16,000 tons of stores a month, rising to 22,000 tons.