The Bay of Plenty Times TUESDAY, MAY 4, 1948. DISCOUNTING REPORTS FROM PALESTINE

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXVI, Issue 14662, 4 May 1948, Page 2

The Bay of Plenty Times TUESDAY, MAY 4, 1948. DISCOUNTING REPORTS FROM PALESTINE

From a comparison between recent cabled news from Palestine and other parts of the Middle East, and news emanating 1 from official sources, it seems that much of the former -at any rate that part which sets out to predict events of the immediate future must be fairly heavily discounted. For example, it was reported from London last Wednesday that the Arab states, led by King Abdullah of Transjordan, had declared Avar on Zionism, and*that their armies would invade Palestine before the first of May. Right on the heels of this report, Avhich originated in Damascus, came a despatch from Sir Alec Kirkbride, Ills Majesty's Minister at Amman (the Transjordan capital) declaring that the statement Avas entirely untrue. The minister placed no credence on the report that Lebanon, Transjordan and Iraq would invade Palestine by the end of last week. The invasion did not materialise, and Mr Bevin, replying to a bombardment of questions on Palestine in the House of Commons last Avcek, pointed out that Britain had no information that King Abdullah had any such intention. The future of Palestine is in the melting pot, and no-one, not even Mr BeA’in, Avith all available official information at his disposal, can forecast Avhat is likely to happen after May 15, when the mandate ends. To quote Mr Bevin’s oavu words, ‘‘it is-impossible to forecast the outcome of the United Nations discussions on Palestine, and the future of the country is so uncertain that 1 it is impossible to take decisions now as to the action Avhich may be required in respect of the period after May 15.” One thing that Mr Bevin did make clear, hoAvever, was that the British AvithdraAval from Palestine was not likely to be either delayed or reconsidered. Had there been any agreement between Jbavs and Arabs, and had it been invited to do so, the British Government Avould have been Avilling to continue the administration.of the country through the limited period of the transfer of independence, but “there has been no agreement,” said Mr Bevin. “Moreover the Avithdrawal of British administrative personnel has hoav begun and is rapidly proceeding and UAL Government cannot reverse the process at this late hour.” So far as the Mandate.is concerned Britain’s last Avord has been spoken.