End of the Mandate ?
The Government will do well to re-emphasise its determination to withdraw from Palestine and not to act as sole agent of the United Nations however soon the latter may decide on putting the partition scheme into effect. The Canadian proposal that the mandate should be terminated on January 1st of next year, but that Britain should continue to maintain law and order and the public services for six months after that date until the two new States have attained independence, represents as clear a disregard for Britain's position as any that has yet been voiced. There is not the slightest possi- bility, as far as can be seen, of the Arabs accepting partition, and Britain has always made it clear that she will only enforce a solution satisfactory to both parties. When terrorism was at its height during the summer, the largest estimate of Jewish forces involved against us was 12,000 ; whilst Haganah, which maintained a neutral position, but would be the chief defence force against the Arabs, was estimated to number about 7o,000 twelve months ago. Trying to keep the peace between two openly warring nations is not the same as being threatened by desperate but isolated acts of vengeance. Yet even under these conditions, 41 British subjects were killed in the first five months of this year. The taking over of the administration of the country by the Security Council would serve as a direct sign to the Arabs that partition is to be enforced, and it is not to be expected that they will hold their hand until the British forces have with- drawn. Moreover, no concrete proposal has been made as to the effective force with which the Special Commission will be supplied and which is to be responsible for the administration in the period of transition. Russia is seemingly anticipating the complete withdrawal of Great Britain by May 1st—the beginning of the transitional period —and America is as certainly assured of our remaining. By standing firm on its decision to withdraw, and by fixing a date for withdrawal to begin, the Government will save itself from the consequences of under-estimation of the dangers of partition on the one hand, and the likelihood of its bearing the sole burden of enforcing it on the other.
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