“EXTREMELY GRAVE”

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23321, 3 October 1945, Page 5

“EXTREMELY GRAVE”

Position In Palestine Armed Clash Feared Jewish Tragedy In Europe By Telegrapn —N Z Ores. assn —Copyright LONDON. October 1. “Extremely grave” is the description given here of the position in Palestine, where last-minute moves are being taken to avert an armed clash which might spread to other Middle East countries. The Jews are pressing for the abandonment of the policy laid down in the British White Paper of 1939, and for the immediate admission of at least 100,000 Jewish refugees to Palestine. The White Paper declared that it was not part of Britain’s policy that Palestine should become a Jewish State, and that after limited immigration over five years the British Government would not be justified in facilitating further development of a Jewish national home. Before the election the British Labour Party declared itself in favour of abrogating the White Paper. Dr. Chaim Weizmann (president of the World Zionist Organisation) has been asking why the party has not fulfilled its pledges. He is seeing Mr Ernest Bevin this week. President Truman has written to Mr Attlee asking him to admit displaced Jew’s from Germany. Palestinian Arabs outnumber Palestinian Jews by two to one. They oppose the lifting of the immigration ban, and they have the support of Moslems in the Middle East and India. It is reported that the Jew'ish defence organisation has a force of 80,000 men armed with rifles. Tommyguns. machine-guns, some artillery, and armoured cars. It is not anticipated that this body will rise against the British, but that attempts will be made to land Jews from ships carrying refugees. If a clash occurs, it is feared that repercussions in the Middle East, might be widespread. An indication of the serious view taken by the G"’wnment was a full