NEWS OF THE WEEK
THE letter which, it is now confirmed, was sent more than a month ago by President Truman to the British Government requesting that the doors of Palestine should be opened to " such
displaced persons [among the Jews] as wish to go there," shows little appreciation of the real problem. .It ignores the fact that under the Balfour Declaration Britain accepted a responsibility to the Arabs as well as to the Jews ; that as the Mandatory Power for Palestine she has no right to ride rough-shod over the wishes of the Arab inhabitants, who still form a large majority in the country ; and that in any case so small a country as Palestine has not room to accom- modate more than a fraction of the Jews who would like to migrate there. It is a singular thing that the United States, ignoring the feeling of the Arab world, should ask Great Britain to force it to accept a flood of unwanted immigrants without regard to the fact that this would set the whole Middle East in a ferment, and might even precipitate a Holy War. There is as much sympathy in Britain as anywhere for the Jews, who are still living miserably in German camps, and their plight assuredly calls for remedial action. But there is no more reason why they should be sent to add to the confusion in Palestine than why they should be sent to the United States. The problem of the homeless Jews needs some hard thinking, and is not to be solved by glibly repeating the word " Palestine," and expecting that all the sacrifice can be lightly imposed on the Arabs. Great Britain, who has to administer Palestine, and keep communica- tions open through the Middle East, cannot with similar levity impose the sacrifice and challenge a Pan-Arab war. Nor is it at all reasonable to assume that all the Jews who are in Germany should be removed from that country. It is plainly the duty of the occupying Powers to ensure conditions under which they may resume their occupations there in safety. But so far as migration is necessary, friends of the Jews should start again and examine the whole question dispassionately, with a view to discovering in what countries of the world there are adequate facilities for their reception. Palestine has already made a very handsome contribution to the problem, and should be asked to do no more.
