DOUBTED BY BRITAIN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26777, 21 May 1948, Page 5

DOUBTED BY BRITAIN

Existence of Threat to International Peace

SITUATION IN PALESTINE

New Zealand Press Association—Copyright Rec. 11 p.m. ' NEW YORK, May 19. When the Security Council met to-day to consider the American resolution calling on the United Nations to find that there was a threat to peace in Palestine which might entail the application of economic and military sanctions, Sir Alexander Cadogan (Britain) made the following points:— First, Britain doubted if the present situation constituted a threat to international , peace. Secondly, Britain was not sure that Palestine could be divided unilaterally, especially as the proclamation of the Jewish State was not made on the basis of the General Assembly’s original partition resolution. Thirdly, the United Nations should issue a cease-fire order and should, in the meantime, try to establish what Palestine’s international status was at present. Sir Alexander then introduced an amending resolution. The main change from the American proposal was the preamble, which asked the Security Council to bear in mind “ the change in the juridical status of Palestine consequent on the termination pf the mandate and the necessity for further clarification of this status.” Similar to the American text, the resolution then called on all parties to cease fighting within 36 hours after the passage of the resolution, but added that the United Nations truce commission should give first priority to negotiating a truce in Jerusalem.

Mr Warren Austin (United States) strongly opposed the British resolution and claimed that the Security Council had a duty under the Charter to deal with all threats to peace, international or not. Mr Austin claimed that the resolution in effect tried to evade that duty. M. Fernand van Langenhove (Belgium) supported Sir Alexander Cadogan, saying that, if the American view were taken, economic sanctions would be involved. “Are we going to make the same mistakes as the League of Nations did in Ethiopia?” Referring to military measures. M. Langenhove said: “Of all the solutions we could adopt, the worst would be to formu- % late threats which we could not fulfil. China also supported the British proposal, after which the Council adjourned until to-morrow. Reuter’s correspondent comments that the split between the United States and Britain on Palestine, which recently has been widening in the background, came out into the open when the Security Council was faced to-day with differing American and

British resolutions. The purpose of the American resolution as seen by experts is to force the Arab nations to halt their actions in Palestine. If they refuse, they will be branded as aggressors, and the way would be clear for open American aid to the Jewish side. Earlier messages from Washington indicated that the United States Government would wait until it knew the Security Council’s attitude on the Palestine issue before making a decision on the lifting of the present embargo on the shipment’ of arms to the Middle East. This was announced to-day by the Secretary of State. Mr George Marshall. Reuter’s Washington correspondent comments that Mr Marshall's remarks confirmed the belief that the United States*is awaiting action on its proposal that the Security Council demand a halt in the Palestine war before deciding on a policy which, although affecting the Middle East generally, would constitute in essence direct support of Israel and intervention in the war.

Arab Legion Advancing on Old City

Rec. 10 p.m. LONDON, May 20. An Arab Legion communique states that “ the enemy is retreating in the New City of Jerusalem before heavy artillery, armoured cars and mortar fire.” Haganah admitted to-night that the Arab Legion had captured the Sheikh Jarrah quarter of Jerusalem, isolating the Jewish University and the Hadassah Hospital, and opening the Ramallah road to the Arabs. Reuter points out that Haganah s admission that the Arabs progressed in the Sheik Jarrah area and the Arab claim that Jews have withdrawn from the Sheik Jarrah sector means that Arab Legion forces are on the northern outskirts of Jerusalem, about one mile from Allenby Square, in the heart of the Jewish-held New City. The British United Press correspondent with the Arab forces which are attacking the Sheik Jarrah sector, says the assault began in the early hours of this morning. The correspondent says that later in the day he was able to see prominent buildings in the New City. From a forward observation post he saw a French flag flying on the Notre Dame de France Convent and a Red Cross flag over the King David Hotel. The commander of the Arab'Legion leading the attack was wounded and brought back. The correspondent adds that a small force opened up at dawn with artillery from the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem. A larger force later struck in from the north with the object of capturing Sheikh Jarrah. Armoured cars supported by artillery, made snort thrusts into Jewish defences. Reuter’s correspondent with Arab irregulars inside the Old Walled City says the irregulars fought side by side with the Arab Legion into the Jewish quarter of the Old City. The Arabs launched the heaviest attack on encircled Jews in the quarter, and by the afternoon controlled about half the quarter. Jewish strongpoints were dynamited by the Arabs, about 500 men of the Israel Army, the Haganah and Jrgun were forced into a small area of the quarter where they came under mortar fire. Meanwhile, reports reaching Old City headquarters said Arab Legion field guns were bombarding Jewish strongpoints and concentrations in the areas of Princess Mary avenue, Ben Yehuda street and Zion Smutare, in the heart of Jewish Jerusalem. Arab artillery, pin-pointing Jewish military targets in the modern sections of Jerusalem, battered the Montefiore quarter and hit an ammunition dump in the Syrian orphanage in the Rehovia quarter. Jews in the Old City are reported to be using the tower of the Armenian Convent and also the German Convent for sniping and artillery observation posts The Arabs claimed that they refrained from retaliatory shelling of these positions. The Arabs claim several times to have offered surrender terms to Jews in the Old City, who in the past two days have suffered 200 casualties from shelling, but the Jews refused, remaining in the Jewish quarter of the Old City with 200 women and children. There are 100,000 Jews in the New City. They are isolated from the rest of Palestine, and have had no food supplies from outside for 30 days. Normal water supplies - have been cut off for 10 days. An Arab League spokesman said that the Arab Legion had captured the daughter of. Mr Moshe Shertok, Israel’s Foreign Minister, at Kfar Etzion. a Jewish settlement which fell to the legion on May 15. She was fighting with the Jewish garrison when taken prisoner. • , Syrian and Iraqi motorised forces which yesterday occupied the Samakh area at the southern tip of the Sea of Galilee, fanned north and south this morning and attacked the key Jewish towns of Sfad and Beisan. The occupation of Beisan, Safad and Tiberias would give the Arabs complete control of all Eastern Palestine. A Syrian communique states that when the Syrians occupied Samakh and the surrounding fortified positions they found the bodies of 172 Jews and many wounded, who were taken to hospital. The Syrians shot down a Jewish plane over the Iraqi lines. Haganah said that Jews yesterday evacuated the isolated Hartuv village in the Judean Hills and removed all men and arms safely. The Jews occu-

pied the strongly-fortified Arab village of El Kubeica, near Rehoboth. Haganah claims to be still holding Kaukab, which Iraqi forces claim to have captured. Haganah repulsed during the night two heavy attacks, and later launched a counter-attack, in which the Jews killed 30 Arabs and captured a large quantity of arms. Haganah adds that Egyptian artillery in Southern 'Palestine shelled a number of Jewish settlements at the rate of a shell a minute. The Arab Legion claims that its troops have advanced at Latrun and the Bab el Wad district, compelling the Jew's to evacuate the Artouf settlement. The legion turned back a concentrated Jewish attack on Latrun.