New Lease

The Palestine war nearly finished U.N. This week it got a new lease on life when the Arab states agreed to a U.N.-imposed truce. The Jews had already agreed. Fighting dwindled toward a stop. It was U.N.'s first major achievement since it got the Red Army out of Persia in April 1946.

A week before, there had been real danger that the U.S. would start arming Israel while Britain continued to arm theArabs. U.S. policy finally crystallized in a U.N. Security Council resolution calling for sanctions (i.e., punishment) against either side that refused or broke the truce. Britain supported the resolution. Against that united front, the warring parties did not dare to stand.

On both sides, hotheads were sore at the U.N. order. The Jews were sure they could win in a fight. Arab diehards at first threatened countersanctions against Britain and the U.S. Azzam Pasha, spokesman for the Arab League, snarled: "If you prevent me from getting what I want, naturally I will prevent you from getting what you want." He meant oil. The Arabs could seriously interfere with the flow of 40% of the world's oil lying in areas they inhabit.

A thousand enraged subjects of Trans-jordan's wily little King Abdullah stormed up to his palace at Amman screaming "Fight to the death!" "Down with the British!" "Down with Truman!" Abdullah came out of the palace alone, faced the mob unarmed, except for a silver-handled dagger. He asked a wide-eyed question: "Why do you disturb the rest of a devout Moslem in the heat of the day during Ramadan?" Then he hurled a taunt: "Why are you not enrolled in the ranks of the army instead of a mob? Transjordan is my heart, and my mission is to save both Transjordan and Palestine." The mob melted away. To the world he said: "The way to settle ... is to negotiate."

If other Arabs were as amenable to reason, the U.N.'s mediator, Count Folke Bernadotte, would have a good chance to establish a basis for peace between now and Sept. 21, when the U.N. Assembly meets in Paris.

Already Bernadotte had achieved a sensational success. If he settled the Palestine war, U.N., under U.S.-British leadership, would again become the focus of hope.

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