LONDON TALKS ON PALESTINE

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 65, 9 December 1938, Page 11

LONDON TALKS ON PALESTINE

British Invitations

Accepted

QUESTION OF ARAB DELEGATES Full Facilities To Be Granted (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, December 7. It is announced that acceptances of the invitations to attend the. proposed discussions in London regarding Palestine, which were sent to the Governments of Egypt, Irak, Saudi Arabia, India, the Transjordan, and the Jewish Agency have been received by the British Government. The King of Yemen has also been invited to send a delegate, and his reply is expected shortly. Simultaneously, to facilitate the nomination of Arab delegates from Palestine itself, the British Government has decided that full facilities to attend the discussion should be available to Arabs selected to proceed and represent Palestine, and that these facilities shall appiy equally to those Arabs who are at present deported or are far from Palestine. After a consultation with the High Commissioner for Palestine, the British Government has ordered the release of those Arabs who are now detained in the Seychelles. Effect will be given to this order as soon as transport can be arranged. The release of these persons is final. Should I heir services be required at the discussions in London, they will be available for selection as representatives of the Arabs of Palestine and will enjoy full liberty of movement, subject.’ only to the stipulation that they will not. be allowed to return to Palestine in the present, circumstances if their admission is regarded as undesirable.

The Colonial Secretary, Mr. Malcolm MacDonald, made a statement to this effect in the House of Commons, and in reply to further questions insisted that, tlie selection of the Palestinian Arab representatives was primarily a matter for the Palestinian Arabs themselves. to whom it must be left to make their own decision.