Palestine : An Adjournment The British Government's proposals have now
been re- jected by the Arab and the Jewish delegations to the Palestine Conference, which has come to an end. The pro- posals provided for the establishment of an independent Palestine after a transitional period of ten years. Jews and Arabs would first be nominated to Executive and Advisory Councils, then elected, in proportion to population, to a Legislative Assembly, and finally entrusted with control of all Government departments ; independence would follow the last of these stages, during which it might be expected that satisfactory working relations would be established between Jews and Arabs. The Arabs rejected the plan because they believe that Jewish co-operation would not be forthcoming, and because they object even to restricted Jewish immigra- tion and land purchases, which the proposals provide for. The Jews object still more vigorously, on the ground that it will leave them permanently as a minority in Palestine. The Government was expected to announce its definitive policy on the future of Palestine immediately after the breakdown of the Conference, but the international situation may cause some delay. Meanwhile historical research continues. The publication of the Hogarth conversations with King Hussein in 1918 has been followed by a White Paper containing the result of the Arab-British discussions of the McMahon cor- respondence; but all that results is agreement as to the existence of ambiguity, and disagreement as to the extent of it.
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