12 JULY 1946, Page 14

AN UNJUST WAR . ?

Snt,—As a Gentile and a former British officer who served in Palestine for five years during the war, I consider that the present widening gap between the Jews in that country—who were our active Allies at that time —and our Government is a tragedy. Nor does the tragedy become less painful when one is convinced that it could have been avoided. Having had the opportunity to study the cause, I am in absolute agreement with Mr. R. H. S. Crossman, M.P. (a member of the Anglo-American Commit- tee), when he says that " the terrorism, the frustration and the despair are the direct results of the decision of the Government to maintain the White Paper, when it was pledged •. . . to repeal it." The 5939 White Paper was judged contrary to the terms of the Mandate, and thus lo international law, by a majority of the Permanent Mandates Ccrnmission. We are, therefore, implementing an illegal -policy. And the Jews fight against it. Would we do anything very different in similar circumstances? Nobody wants British soldiers to be killed ; nor can anyone condone murder. But

we have to do is to try to understand the basic causes of the strafe. I would quote Mr. Crossman again, from his speech in Parliament on July rat: " It is right that this House should be deeply concerned about the cost of British lives . . but it is always as well to remember that, while we are indignant that British soldiers should be killed, we shall be even morn indignant if we discover that they are being killed in an