COMMENT ON U.S. STATEMENT

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25428, 26 February 1948, Page 7

COMMENT ON U.S. STATEMENT

The “New York Times” correspondent at Lake Success (James Reston) says that United Nations delegates and officials to-night drew the following •conclusions from Mr Austin’s state-

fl) The Uniteu States still supports .the principle of partition, but proposes ho travel toward partition over such a trcuitous route that there is doubt whether the partition policy will be really enforced. (2) The statement has raised the whole question of whether anybody ■has the rignt to enforce partition under the Charter.

(3) President Truman has rejected the counsel of his political advisers and left the decision to the State Department, which is now emphasising the legal limitations of the Charter. The United Press correspondent at Lake Success says: ‘-Mr Austin’s cautious approach left the way open for the United States eventually to take

co H rse !t chooses without contradiction of policy ” ft I S? d i ng article, the “New York P; bunc ; says: “The Truman flSSKJtrahoo has made a mighty attempt to sti addle an issue which is too dangerous for straddling. If the United States is not to stand by while Palestine slides into chaos, carrying the United Nations with it, the United States must say as forthrightly as has Britain what it will do.” In a statement aboard the Presidential yacht, Williamsburg, which is sail mg from the Virgin Islands to Cuba,* President Truman said: “The Palestine problem has been and is the deep concern of the United States Government it has been given most careful consideration by me, the Cabinet, and other responsible Government officials. The United States position has been developed through long and exhaustive study and many consultations. This position has been accurately presented by Mr Austin in his speech to-day.”