PARTITION SCHEME FOR PALESTINE

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20928, 6 January 1938, Page 7

PARTITION SCHEME FOR PALESTINE

FRESH COMMISSION APPOINTED IMPORTANT STATEMENT ISSUED United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright LONDON. January 4. A White Paper announces that the Government is appointing a technical commission to Palestine to examine and report on the partition scheme. It emphasises that the commission is to be impartial and not political. The personnel has not yet been chosen. The terms of reference of the commission are contained in a despatch from the Secretary of State for Colonies to the High Commissioner in Palestine in the course of which Mr Ormsby-Gore says he wishes to make it clear that the British Government is in no sense committed to approval of the plan for the proposed partition of Palestine and has not accepted the previous Palestine Commission's proposal for a compulsory transfer in the last resort of Arabs from the Jewish to the Arab area.

In the opinion of the British Government, discussions at Geneva justify the undertaking of any further investigations required for the drawing up of a more precise scheme expressed in greater detail. The final decision cannot be taken in merely general terms and further inquiry would undoubtedly provide the necessary material on which, when the best possible scheme has been formulated, to judge of its equity and practicability. Scope of Inquiry

The new Commission will visit Palestine and will submit to the British Government, after consultation with the local Commission, proposals for a detailed scheme of partition, and it will be the task of this body to advise as to the provisional boundaries of the proposed Arab and Jewish areas, and of the new British Mandated Area. It will also undertake financial and other enquiries for which the Royal Commission recommended that a financial Commission should be appointed. Mr Ormsby-Gore added that if finally the partition scheme was regarded as practicable and equitable, it would be referred to the Council of the League of Nations for consideration, and if approved by it, a further period would be required for the establishment of a new system of Government under the League Mandate in the areas concerned, and if necessary, consent would have to be forthcoming for the negotiation of treaties with a view to the eventual establishment of independent States. It might also be necessary for the British Government to give further consideration to the suggestion of the Permanent Mandates Commission that the Jewish and Arab areas should be administered temporarily under a system of cantonlsation, or under separate mandates.

Mr Ormsby-Gore added: “It is obvious, therefore, that for some time to come any action taken can be only of an exploratory nature.” CLASH WITH ARABS UNREST ON FRONTIER United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright (Received January 6, 1 a.m.) JERUSALEM, January 5. Troops and police engaged a band of forty armed Arabs near the frontier village of Haffa, killing three. The rest dispersed and escaped to Syria.