PARTITION PLAN FOR PALESTINE

Greymouth Evening Star, 4 February 1947, Page 5

PARTITION PLAN FOR PALESTINE

Zionists Expected To Submit Offer (Recd. v 0.30 a.m.) LONDON, February 3. The Zionist leaders now negotiating with the British authorities are expected to make an offer on. the basis of partition, for Palestine when they see the Foreign Secretary,Mr. Bevin, and the Colonial Secretary, Mr. Creech Jones, to-night, says Reuter’s diplomatic correspondent. All six representatives of the Jewish Agency conferred during the week-end with 1500 delegates of the Zionist Federation of Great Britain, where most of them, made speeches urging the 'British Zionist movement to accept partition as the final solution of the Palestine problem.

The British Cabinet is expected to make a crucial decision on Palestine to-day, says the diplomatic correspondent of the Daily Telegraph. The correspondent quotes an unconfirmed report that Field-Marshal Lord Montgomery, Chief of the Imperial General Staff, will attend the meeting of the Cabinet. He adds that it seems likely that a scheme involving partition will be decided upon and submitted to the United Nations for approval and support. Mr. Asherhentsky, counsel for Dov Gruner, the condemned Jewish terrorist, has applied to the High Court, for an order restraining the prison authorities from hanging Gruner until the High Commissioner, Lieu-tenant-General Sir Alan Cunningham, reviews the death sentence already confirmed by the Commander-jn-Chief, General Sir Evelyn Barker. Radio Farewell. Irgun Zvai Leumi’s secret radio, broadcasting a “last good-bye” to Gruner, said: “They are determined to hang you. We, however, salute you as a hero. If, in spite of all our efforts, you are executed, our children and grandchildren will sing your praise.” _____

i The radio said: “Churchill is thirsting for Gruner’s blood.” | The Chief Rabbinate in Palestine proclaimed to-day as a “day of i prayer and intercession in view of the [dire distress of Jewry.” What Hitler Would Have Done. The New York Herald-Tribune, in a leading article on the Palestine [situation, says Hitler would long ago 'have shot Gruner with a random [selection of hostages, but the British Government is not that of the late | unlamented Third Reich. I Noting that negotiations among [British Jews azd. Arabs for an ! amicable settlement have apparently failed, the article says that if the United States has contributed much officially besides criticism at comfortably long range, it is not apparent. The United States has hinted it will support partition on the basis of a viable Jewish state. Alternatively the British could turn the mandate over to the United Nations. Either course would at least return the problem to- negotiation and be a step away from the sheer violence into which the Palestine situation is disintegrating.