Time Grows Short in Palestine, Associated Press, San Francisco Chronicle, May 1, 1948.

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By the Associated Press

LAKE SUCCESS, April 30-United Nations truce attempts for Palestine appeared tonight to have collapsed.

The Security Council truce commission reported in a telegram from Jerusalem that the general situation in Palestine is deteriorating rapidly.

It said fighting is intensifying steadily and that normal activities are coming to a standstill.

Another telegram, not yet made public, was reported to have said the American-Belgian-French truce commission was unable thus far to bring Jews and Arabs together to talk terms.

The Arab Higher Committee for Palestine blasted hopes here for a truce inside the walled city of Jerusalem.

U. S. PROPOSAL

The United States, however, presented an urgent plan to the Trusteeship Council for a temporary trusteeship to save Jerusalem. A night session of the council discussed the plan but adjourned without reaching a decision. (See page 4.)

The Arab committee’s delegate, Jamal Husseini, said the new Jewish offensive in modern Jerusalem had wiped out all hopes for a truce in the walled area.

The Trusteeship Council still considered, however, that its cease-fire agreement stood for the old city which contains relics sacred to three great religions. It hoped to send a formal cease-fire order to both sides tomorrow.

The 58-nation Political Committee of the special U. N. Assembly on Palestine interrupted debate on a United States plan for U. N. trusteeship over Palestine to hear the truce commission’s report of failure to bring Jews and Arabs together.

TELEGRAM READ

In the telegram read by Dr. Alfonso Lopez of Colombia, the retiring April president of the Security Council, the truce commission said-

“General situation in Palestine deteriorating rapidly. Government departments are closing daily and normal activities of the country are coming to a stand-still . . . Intensity of fighting is increasing steadily . . . Rumors are tending to increase the nervous tension in the country.”

It was understood the second telegram, which Dr. Lopez was said to have refused to read out in full committee, reported the Jewish Agency had laid down terms which made a truce doubtful. The Jews were said to be demanding free immigration into Palestine and retirement of Arab armed forces from Palestine. Both have been repeatedly opposed by the Arabs.

The Jewish Agency for Palestine protested to the U. N. against Dr. Lopez withholding the telegram.

TRUCE NEGOTIATIONS

An informed source said Dr. Lopez did not read the message because it related only to the true negotiations. He was said to have decided to read the telegram on the general situation because he thought the whole committee should know the present conditions.

Moshe Shertok, Jewish Agency representative, said that while he could not agree now to the council’s cease-fire order without further instructions, there actually is no firing within the old walled city.

Shertok said the Jews must have rights of movement to and from the walled city. He said he would ask the Agency in Palestine if he could agree to the cease-fire now, with truce terms to be drawn up later.

Secretary-General Trygve Lie, obviously irked by the slow progress, told a news conference the special Assembly probably would be in session from two to six weeks more. It started its third week Friday forenoon. If Lie’s prediction is correct, the Assembly will still be in session when the British mandate ends.