Support for “white Paper” Dwindles in British Government Circles, Shertok Says

Although the White Paper under which only 20,000 additional Jews can enter Palestine remains the official policy of the British Government, there is a growing marked opposition to this document in government and political circles in London, Moshe Shertok, head of the political department of the Jewish Agency who arrived here from England last week, declared at a press conference today.

Palestine, Mr. Shertok stated, is ready to absorb immediately tens of thousands of Jews from Nazi Europe who would be given employment as soon as they reach the country. He emphasized that there is a great shortage of labor in Palestine in view of the expanded industries which are working for the war effort. Here than 20,000 Jews, he said, are now serving in the Jewish units as part of the British armed forces and Jewish officers and soldiers are considered by the British military authorities to be a great asset. In addition, about 7,000 Jews are serving in local defense units under military supervision.

The primary interest of the Jews in Palestine, at present, is to have as many Jews as possible saved from the Nazis, Mr. Shertok declared. The feeling among Jewish leaders there is that the Jews of America are not doing all that they can to bring about some kind of concrete action to rescue the Jews in those Nazi-dominated countries from which they can still emigrate. Mr. Shertok also reviewed Arab-Jewish relations and emphasized that the Jewish Agency will not object to the creation of a Pan-Arab Federation, providing that Jewish Palestine benefits by it.