26 MAY 1939, Page 3

The present House has been sorely troubled with Palestine, and,

if it had not been for the international situa- tion, there would doubtless have been considerably more interest and agitation as a prelude to Monday's debate. It became gradually obvious that the majority of the House was not enamoured of the Government's proposals, and would have preferred not to have voted on the question. Captain Margesson hurriedly changed a two-line into a three-line summons, and Government Whips were sent out to do their best with their half-hearted supporters. The division showed how loth Ministerialists were to commit themselves. There was an abnormal number of abstentionists, and amongst those who voted in the Opposition Lobby were such Government stalwarts as Sir John Haslam, Captain Cazalet and Mr. Hammersley, quite apart from Mr. Churchill, Mr. Amery and others, whom one expected to see in opposition.