BRITAIN BLAMED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 201, 26 August 1930, Page 7

BRITAIN BLAMED.

HOLY LAND TROUBLE.

Accused of Neglect Under Mandate. COMMISSION'S FINDINGS. (British Official Wireless.) (Received 1 p.m.) RUGBY, August 25. The disturbances in Palestine in August and September, last year, are the subject of comments in the general report of the Permanent Mandates Commission to the Conncil of the League of Nations, "which was published in Geneva this morning. The report contains criticisms of the mandatory Powerr respecting its policy during the past five years, and these are dealt 'with in a memorandum tv the British Government, "which has been published simultaneously "with the report. The latter document, analysing the report, says it is divided into three parts. The first contains a commentary on the nature of the outbreak and on the attitude and conduct of the mandatorv Power before the outbreak. Tbe second deals with the steps taken by the, mandatory Power to restore and maintain order, and the third deals with the future policy.

.As regards the second and third parts the British Government notes with satisfaction that the measures taken by them to restore and maintain order in Palestine last August appear to have met with the tacit approval of the Mandates Commission. The British Government is also glad to note that the commission considers that the statement of its accredited representative regarding the suspension of certain immigration permits, should dispel the fears" which have been expressed in Jewish circles as to the mandatory Powers inclination to discharge in full its obligation to encourage Jewish immigration. and to ensure the establishment of the Jewish national home under the conditions stipulated in the mandate. It is also noted that the commission appeared disposed to acquit the Jewish Government of any charge of failure in its obligations or its immediate duties in regard* to the establishment of a regime of self-government in Palestine. Cause of Friction. In the first part of the report, however, it is observed that numerous, and in some cases somewhat serious criticisms are levelled against mandatory Power in respect"of its policy during the past five years. Perhaps the most important- criticism is that partial inaction of the mandatory Power as regards its obligations to the Palestinian population, both Arab and Jewish, is the fundamental cause of the friction which eventually culminated in the serious disorder of* August. —

Particular emphasis is laid upon the alleged failure to promote agricultural and educational development and a more extensive programme of public works, and to encourage co-operation between Jews and Arabs which is held to be the cause of dissatisfaction on the part of tha Arabs with the mandatory regime."

This criticism is more alarming in view of the fact that since the British acceptance of the mandate the comment of the Permanent Mandates Commission cannot be said to have foreshadowed in any way the charges now brought. It is argued that a more active policy on the part of the British Government in promoting the interests of Arabs in the social and economic spheres, and in bringing the'two sections of the population, Jewish and Arab, into close association tvouM have blunted the edge of antagonism.

Such argument fails to take account of the paramount importance hitherto attached by the Arab leaders to fhe political issue, and it ignores the fact that the demands of Arabs have always been for a particular form of representation which would be plainly incompatible with the execution of the mandate.

The repeated offers of the British Government to associate Arabs and Jews in" a form of representative Government which would be compatible with their mandatory obligations, have always been rejected by the Arab leaders.

The difficulties created for the mandatory Power by this attitude, on the part of the Arabs, seem to be inadequately appreciated by the Commission, although they were more than once brought to their notice by tne accredited representative.

Moreover, the British Government desires to emphasise the fact- that the obligation imposed on it by the mandate "«"3c of a complex character, defined thus: "The mandatory shall be responsible for placing the country under such political, administrative, an economic conditions as will secure, firstly, the establishment of a Jewisli national home, as laid down in e preamble, secondly, the self-governing institntionc, and a '~ 0 _ lo * safeguarding the civil and religiorights of all inhabitants of Palestine irrespective of race or religion. Nevertheless, in its report, the Commission, in summarising the imme obligation of the mandatory, no reference to the important qn that the mandatory shall »I£o be re» ponsible for "safeguarding the Sons rights of all Palestine irrespective of _ religion."' This, in the opinio British Governments-is the core the difi.lt -to. « » task is elsewhere to some e _^ cognised, the bearing °! 1n ? devisin" obligation upon the problem in ° measures which would admi va ce3 creasing development oi the side by side is largely ignored. Surprise is expressed that the findings of the Shaw Commission on the queo fact, such as the causes and respon ability for the outbreak, Ue<i some eases ignored, and in oth^a ia question, while criticisms ta * the Jewish Memorandum and other sources which reached the Power too late for Inclusion in the meat have been adopted.

Reports Differ. Belerrfag to tie dissect I " rom / -,' :^ TY f Suite conclusion of the Shaw - sion that the outbreaks were cot meditated, the Memorandum states tie British Government cannot but; lee. that.the "rounds on which the Hanoates Commission differs from the'coneiusion are - scarcely adequate. The _ Government does not find any. e sf |he .view taken in report a the Shaw Commission "was wrong loMhig that the outbreak was not an rcitbreak against British authority.

Tie protests by various Arab authorities quoted in support are, it is stated, directed against the fundamental position in Palestine as fixed by the mandate itself. They. are protests, not against British authority but against the mandate and the action of the League of Nations.

"Whatever may have been the atti- | tuds of the Arab leaders, the signij Scant fact remains that during the disturbance no attack was made or attempted on local representatives of British authority. This fact, which speaks for itself and which was directly brought to their notice by the accredited representatives, finds no place in the report of the Permanent Mandates Commission/ 5 Armed Forces Inadequate. Regarding the conclusions in the report as to the inadequacy of the armed forces at the disposal of the local administration, it is not- denied that the forces immediately available were inadequate to deal with sudden and widespread disturbances, but the satisfaction expressed by the Commission in 1925 that the peace and order existing had enabled the mandatory Power to maintain only a very small armed force in the country is recalled, and it ia noted that the Commission, when considering the Palestine report only a month before the outbreak, gave no indication that it regarded those forces as inadequate.

The Commission has all along known the composition of the Palestine police force and the various changes which have taken place in it. If, as stated in the report, it was to be expected that such a force would prove to be unreliable when tested, it is to be regretted that the Commission did not warn the mandatory Power of the danger which it was incurring.

'"10 maintain order in the. territory by a police force from which the inhabitants of that territory are excluded, is a policy which the British Government, in the light of long and varied experience, is unable to view with favour, and which is open to objection on political, administrative and financial grounds. The Government feel that it was justified in adopting, in the case of Palestine, the system which has been attended with success in many other territories, and which it has still reason to hope will prove successful in Palestine."

The memorandum deals at length with the charge that the British Government has failed in its mandatory obligations vis-a-vis with Arabs, by neglect of agricultural and other development, and particulars are given of the measures taken by the mandatory Power for the ment of Palestine's resources in various directions. In view of these, the British Government feels it, may justly be claimed that it has not been neglectful of its obligations.