TENSION GROWS IN PALESTINE

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24865, 3 May 1946, Page 7

TENSION GROWS IN PALESTINE

Jews And Arabs Both Hostile To Report

BRITISH REQUEST TO U.S.

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) * (Rec. 11-30 p.m.) LONDON, May 2. Arabs in Palestine have called for a special meeting of the Arab League to determine what action shall be taken to meet what they call the ‘new situation” arising from the publication of the report of the British-American committee of inquiry. Other developments include the decision of the Palestine Arab Higher Committee to call a general strike, starting tomorrow, a spate of criticism of the report from both the Jewish and Arab sides, threats of further violence by the Jewish Resistance Movement, and the discovery of a plot to blow up a British destroyer. Warning has been given by Arabs in Egypt that a revolt throughout the Arab East would follow the putting into practice of the committee’s resolution. Meanwhile, in response to Mr Truman’s support of the recommendations on Palestine, Britain has sent the United States a communication stating that if illegal armies in Palestine were not disarmed before any attempt was made to send 100.000 Jews into Palestine, a situation will arise which will endanger the security of the Middle East. The comlhunication suggests that illegal Jewish armies be disarmed and that the United States share in this disarming.

The Washington correspondent of the “New York Times” says that Washington officials indicated that the administration is not prepared to assist in disarmament. Even Mr Attlee’s milder statement in the House of Commons that he intended to ascertain to what extent America was prepared to share in the financial and military responsibility for administering Palestine met with a cool reception in Washington.