Over to You

At U.N. last week, as the end of Britain's Palestine mandate approached, Zionists were like people waiting for New Year's. A good many U.N. delegates, on the contrary, felt more like Cinderellas waiting for midnight. For U.N., it turned out to be strictly mice and pumpkins.

For 28 footling days the 58-nation General Assembly had been debating the now-famous U.S. afterthought: to postpone partition and substitute a U.N. trusteeship for Palestine. Neither the Jews nor the Arabs (regardless of what they thought of partition) wanted that kind of postponement. Their common aim: to keep the talks going till the end of the British mandate at midnight May 15, Palestine time (6 p.m., E.D.T.).

"No More Arguments." U.S. Delegate Francis B. Sayre had scaled down the U.S. proposal to a temporary trusteeship for Jerusalem alone. Said he: "If [it] is to be set up ... it [must] be set up before the expiration of the present mandate." Trying to drive his motion through a preliminary session at Lake Success, he persuaded hungry fellow delegates to break a rule, take sandwiches and coffee at the conference table. Late in the afternoon, when the Assembly moved into its big gallery at Flushing Meadow, however, the parliamentary tempo slowed. Six p.m. approached. A newsman said, "Let's synchronize our watches at 2 minutes of 6. And no more arguments."

Ultimately, an Arab was U.N.'s timekeeper. Agile Awni Khalidy of Iraq scurried to the rostrum. "The time is 1 minute past 6 o'clock . . ." U.N. had not repealed partition, had not voted a trusteeship. In the corridors Zionists with shining, not quite believing faces embraced each other. But there was one surprise left.

"No Official Information." The incredible news rippled through the hall: Harry Truman had recognized the new Jewish state of Israel. A Yemenite put his turbaned head in his hands. The Colombian delegate asked if the U.S. delegation could confirm the reports. Delegate Sayre moved down the aisle, past bristling Syrians. From the rostrum he declared: "We have no official information . . ."

Two hours later, the General Assembly adjourned. Its final act was to authorize a U.N. mediator to meet with Jews and Arabs, do what he could to help them reach a settlement. U.N. had passed the buck to the Middle East.

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