867N.65/175
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Kennedy) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 31.]
Sir: I have the honor to quote below a statement made yesterday in the House of Commons by Mr. Malcolm MacDonald, the Colonial Secretary, [Page 759] in reply to a Parliamentary question, indicating the British Government’s unwillingness to accede to a request of the Jewish Agency that a decision of the Hague Court be obtained on the legality of the British Government’s immigration policy in Palestine.
“Mr. Mander (Opposition Liberal) asked the Secretary of State for the Colonies what reply has been sent to the request of the Jewish Agency that a decision of the Permanent Court of International Justice should be obtained as to the legality of the British Government’s decision to restrict immigration into Palestine on grounds other than the economic absorptive capacity of that country?
“Mr. M. MacDonald: The reply sent to the Jewish Agency was to the effect that the grounds on which His Majesty’s Government consider the present restrictions on Jewish immigration, which are temporary pending the promulgation of policy, to be justified, have been publicly explained on various occasions and that His Majesty’s Government have nothing to add to their previous statements; that the arguments recently put forward by the Jewish Agency do not lead His Majesty’s Government to alter their views, and that they do not feel able to adopt the suggestion that the Council of the League of Nations should be asked to obtain an advisory opinion from the Hague Court.”
(Hansard, Cols. 1655–1656.)70
Respectfully yours,
Counselor of Embassy
- Parliamentary Debates, House of Commons, 5th ser., vol. 347, p. 1647.↩