NEWS OF THE WEEK
THE debates on Palestine in the House of Lords and the House of Commons this week have both shown that, despite all criticism, no better alternative is forth- coming. In the House of Lords on Monday Lord Samuel suggested the eventual inclusion of Palestine, with a Jewish minority of 4o per cent. in an Arab Confederation ; but it would appear that such a solution would arouse far more opposition from the Zionists than even the present scheme. In both Houses the Labour Party asked for delay, and opportunity for further consideration; and in effect the Government, by accepting Mr. Winston Churchill's and Mr. Lloyd George's amendments in the debate on Thursday, have acceded to this demand. Rightly, however, they have rejected the Labour demand for a Joint Select Committee to reconsider the whole question. As things are, a detailed scheme of partition will be presented only after the League has been consulted, and Parliament has committed. itself to no specific proposals. This has the advantage that, even if partition is unavoidable, it can be made more tolerable by revision of some of the Report's proposals, especially perhaps in regard to the status of Tel-Aviv, Jaffa, and the Jews of Jerusalem.
