ANOTHER TRY FOR PALESTINE PEACE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 3, 5 January 1938, Page 7

ANOTHER TRY FOR PALESTINE PEACE.

BRITISH DECISION.

Former Partition Plan

Not Accepted. INQUIRY BT COMMISSION. United Press Association.—Copyright. (Received 1.30 p.m.) LONDON", January 4. A White Paper announces that the Government will appoint a technical commission on Palestine to examine and report on the partition seheme. It is emphasised that the commission will be impartial and unpolitical. The personnel has not yet been chosen.

The terms of reference of the Commission, says a British Official Wireless message, are contained in a dispatch from the Secretary for the Colonies to the High Commissioner in Palestine.

In the course of these Mr. W. Ornisby-Gore says he wishes to make it clear that the British Government is in no sense committed to approval of the plan for the proposed partition of Palestine and has not accepted the previous Palestine Commission's proposal for compulsory transfer, in the last resort, of Arabs from a Jewish to an Arab area.

In the opinion of the British Government discussions at Geneva justify the undertaking of further investigations required for drawing up a more precise scheme expressed in greater detail. Final decision cannot be taken in merely general terms and further inquiry would undoubtedly provide necessary material on which, when the best jK)ssible scheme has been formulated, to judge of its equity and practicability.

The new Commission will visit Palestine and will submit to the British Government, after consultation with the local Commission, proposals for a detailed scheme of partition, and it will be the task of this body to advise as to provisional boundaries of the proposed Arab and Jewish areas, and. of the new British mandated area, also to undertake financial and other inquiries for which the Royal Commission recommended that a financial commission should be appointed.

Mr. Ormsby-Gore adds that if, finally, the, partition scheme is regarded ae practicable and equitable, it would be referred to the Council of- the League for consideration, and if approved by it a further period would be' required for establishment of the new system of government Under the -mandate ill the areas concerned, and, if tlie necessary consent was forthcoming, for negotiation of treaties with a view to the eventual establishment of independent States.

It might also he necessary .for the British (ioVernment to jiive further consideration to a of the Permanent Mandates Commission, that Jewish-and Arab areas be administered temporarily under a system of cantonisation, or under separate mandates.

He adds: "It is obvious, therefore, that for some time to come any action taken would be only of an exploratory nature."