NEWS OF THE WEEK
SUCCESS can always be snatched from the jaws of failure, but if the Palestine Conference, now once more in session in London, succeeds something like a miracle will have been accomplished. The Jews are not taking part, and the fact that private conversations are taking place between representatives of the Jewish Agency and Ministers is no compensation for their absence. The Palestine Arabs are there, but their resistance to any form of partition is supported by all the rest of the Arab delegations, and the Grand Mufti, watching events from Cairo, has declared himself against it with menacing emphasis. More formally, the Jews demand the total abrogation of the 1939 White Paper plan, the Arabs its complete and unreserved application. Between such views there would be no visible recon- ciliation even if the situation in Palestine were relatively tranquil, As things are the new abductions have hardened public opinion here -against the Jews as it never has been hardened yet, and the intimation by the Colonial Secretary that the evacuation of British women and children from Palestine is under active consideration comes as a grave warning of what the later developments of the crisis mean. It is true that the kidnapped officers have been sent home, but that constitutes no sort of palliation of the terrorists' crimes. The only (hope of converting Palestine once more into the semblance of a civilised State lies in far more active and effective co-operation by the Jewish Agency with the British authorities against the terrorists. There is little sign of that ; without it outrages are likely to continue and increasingly drastic repressive measures must be taken in reply. A sinister comment on the success of the terrorists in evading justice is the statement that there were 75 murders in Palestine last year and not a single conviction. The whole question may have to be placed in the hands of U.N.O.
