ARABS RESENT THE SOVIET SUPPORT FOR PARTITION PLAN

Greymouth Evening Star, 16 October 1947, Page 8

ARABS RESENT THE SOVIET SUPPORT FOR PARTITION PLAN

LONDON, October 15.

The Prime .Minister . of Lebanon (Mr Riad es-Solh), who presided at the conference of the Arab League states,..said in Beirut”that the . Arab decisions on Palestine were unchanged .-in the light of Russia’s approval of partition. . He added that the conference would hold its final regular meeting today but would remain open for further meetings should the urgency of the situation warrant them. The Jerbsaleih correspondent of the Daily Telegraph says that Russia’s support of partition delights the Jews , but ..is bitterly resented by the Arabs, who say that Russia .must know full well that the Arabs will never accept and will fight partition. Russia’s Objective

“Presumably Russia wants to encourage trouble in the Middle East so as to get her an excuse to get a foothold here,” said one notable Arab. He added that what the Krerhlin failed to realise was that the decision was probably a mortal blow to Communism in the Arab countries. The Times, ih a leading article, says: “The present situation in Palestine . cannot continue indefinitely, without risk of a serious explosion. While the United Nations is deliberating the. Jews are acting. A fresh wave of Jewish immigration is being organised, and the Jews, fortified by international support for their claim to statehood, are in no mood to tolerate the restrictions which Britain is still enforcing. “It is scarcely possible for Britain to allow the position of the Arabs to be prejudiced in this fashion so long as she retains, the mandatory responsibility for safeguarding their interests, and the only, honourable course, for Britain is to free her hands forthwith by announcing het determination to lay down the mandate on a specified date and meanwhile to evacuate troops and administrators from Palestine within the prescribed period.

The Last Chance

“This procedure offers the last remaining chance of inducing moderate Jews and Arabs to combine in facing the decisions sought to be thrust upon therh. It is the only means of persuading the United Nations to concentrate upon its duty of devising machinery for executing its intentions.” The London correspondent of the New Zealand Press Association says it is reported, that two large immigrant ships, the Pan York and the Pan. Crescent, which recently left a Black Sea port, are now off tne Palestine coast and are expected Jn try to land their passengers this week. . . Each ship is said to be carrying between 4000 and 5000 immigrants.