JERUSALEM: The provisional Government of the Jewish state, which is to be proclaimed as an independent unit on May 16, will follow the Republican form, probably the French model, according to usually wellinformed circles here. There will be a head of the Government, probably a President, and a Cabinet of twelve Ministers. A Joint Planning Board set up after the Nov 29 decision of the United Nations General Assembly to draw up the plan of Government has now finally completed its work.

[Meanwhile as reported from Tel Aviv,] An attempt by the District Commissioner, Mr W.V. Fuller, to start negotiations on the future of Jaffa when the British leave was turned down by the Jews today [May 9]. Jewish officials said they could negotiate directly with the Arabs. ... Jaffa, the once flourishing Arab seaport on Palestine`s Mediterranean coast, is today a city of despair, cables Seagham Maynes, Reuter`s special correspondent. Of its 70,000 inhabitants, all but about 2,000 fled in panic when several thousand wellequipped Jews launched a 5-day attack a fortnight ago. ... Jaffa`s remaining Arabs, seriously short of food [are] fatalistically resigned to the loss of their chief sea-port.