U.N. Debates Palestinian Withdrawal, San Francisco Chronicle, Nov. 16, 1947.

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LAKE SUCCESS, Nov. 15 (AP)—A four-power United Nations working group, including the United States and Russia, ran into a new snarl tonight over the date for termination of Britain’s Palestine mandate and the creation of sovereign Arab and Jewish countries.

But members of the group held out hope for an early solution and said the long-awaited plan for partition of the Holy Land was expected to be submitted to the United Nations next week for approval.

The new conflict arose as a result of the British announcement that Britain’s troops would not be able to withdraw from Palestine before August 1, 1948, two months later than the date proposed by the U. S. and Russia.

Lester B. Pearson of Canada suggested to the U. S.-Russian-Canadian-Guatemalan working party of a U. N. Palestine subcommittee that the British mandate and independence of the two countries be effected simultaneously May 1.

TRANSITION PERIOD

Pearson argued that the proposed United Nations five-man commission, which would administer Palestine during the period between termination of the mandate and independence, would be illegal.

The Canadian representative said the U. N. commission, since it would be appointed by the General Assembly, would have only powers of recommendation and could not make decisions.

The only way to avoid this, Pearson said, would be to terminate the mandate and establish independence simultaneously.

Russian Delegate Semen K. Tsarpakin opposed this proposal on the contention he could not conceive of independence being effected under foreign occupation.

Independence, he said, must be effected after British troops and administration authorities have been withdrawn from Palestine.

A representative of the Jewish Agency for Palestine, who appeared before the working group, suggested that the British mandate be terminated March 1.

U. S. Delegate Herschel V. Johnson said he expected the working group to iron out this new difficulty

NEW MEETINGS

Dr. Herbert V. Evatt of Australia, chairman of the U. N. Assembly’s special 57-nation Palestine Committee, said he had scheduled three meetings for Monday on the assumption that subcommittee reports on partition would be completed over the weekend.

Evatt said he would press for a committee decision next week and forward the plan for creation of sovereign Arab and Jewish states to the Assembly immediately.