London, Dec. 9, "RITICISM was levelled at the Zionist Movement in Palestine, and at the plan for partition, by Lord Samuel, a former Governor-General of Palestine with Jewish connections, in a debate on the Government's policy with regard to Palestine in the House of Lords yesterday. Pointing out that "this was the first debate on Palestine in the Lords since July, 1937, Lord Samuel declared that the recommendation for partition was bad, and that all. par' ion proposals ought to have been discredited at the outset, The strength of the Zi ist movement, he said, was derived mainly from the masses of Jews in Poland, Rumania and the United States, who were remote from the scene, without intimate knowledge of the circumstances in Palestine. They had not seen the obstacles, and were impatient when anyone said that such obstacles were real, and suggested a means of overcoming them. The most important fact was that the Arab National Movement existed, and was a reality, Tord Samuel suggested that Jewish The first method of approach would migration be limited so as not to be the separate delegations interqxcoed, over a period of years, say, viewing the Government separately. forty per cent. of the Jewish and Balfour Pledge Upheld sixty per cent. of the Arab popula~ tion.
He said that the Government would "The Government should arrange enter the discussions bound by the Joan to promote closer settlement in obligations of the Balfour Declaration, undeveloped country, and a Legis-and the Mandate.
we Council might be created, Should agreement be reached by: both sides on a basis requiring the London Parleys Hailed alteration of the Mandate, they would All speakers agreed with the Gov-not hesitate to take the proper steps iment's decision to hold the forth-obtain an alteration. coming Palestine Conference in Lon-Similarly, if agreement were not don. reached, and a settlement had to be Lord Harlech suggested that the imposed, they would equally hold Government consider the possibilities themselves free to take appropriate of a loose federal organization as steps for making a similar alteration, offering prospects of an agreed The question of a Federation was solute open to discussion, and the Govern He said that, in his view, Jewish ment would not prevent its being seitloment wotild grow very slowly, raised, but they thought very strong but on surer foundations. To bring ly that it was a matter for the Arab such @ policy to fruition, there must states themselves, and they were not be friendly ce-operation, and ite prepared to give advice or lead on growth must not be top fast. the matter.
Lord Dufferin said that he did not The tragedy of the policy of a believe that the present dimculties Jewish national home in Palestine, could have existed, and been con-hie went on, was that it had been tinued, if the Arab cause had not made a refuge because of Jewish been sustained by idealism equal to persecution, that of the Zionist cause.
The emigration into Palestine had xrown from 11,000 annually Government's Goodwill inrush of from 60,000 to 70,000, He hoped that the Conference mainly owing to German persecution, would restore to the Arabs the con-Lord Harlech concluded by saying fidence that their cause would be that neither an Arab nor a Jewish heard through the mouths of a Government would offer a solution, delegation representative of all Araby and he was convinced that the only in Palestine, and nearby countries. hope for the success of the Round He assured the House that, if the Table Conference was to make it per-Conference failed, it would not be fectly clear that. British Administra-through lack of goodwill on the part tion would be continued in Palestine. of the Government.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.