ADDED MENACE IN HOLY LAND UNREST.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 151, 27 June 1936, Page 9

ADDED MENACE IN HOLY LAND UNREST.

TRANS JORDAN ARABS. Fear of Co-operation of Armed Forces. ANOTHER BRITISHER KILLED. United Press Association.—Copyright. (Received 11 a.m.) LONDON, June 26. The "News Chronicle" Jerusalem correspondent says that there is a grave danger of the Transjordania Arabs rising in support of those in Palestine. Some have already crossed the border and joined the armed bands which are daily attacking roads and railways. A meeting of 200 sheiks has been called at Amman, capital of Transjordan'.a, to discuss action. The Government realises that trouble in Transjordania would be more serious than Palestine, where it is a criminal offence to carry arms, guns and ammunition. On the contrary, the law permits Transjordanian Arabs to carry rifles and import ammunition. Arabs in the streets of Amman shout "Jew" after European visitors. Envoys from Palestine are fomenting discontent among the Bedouins, while another contributory factor to unrest is that the harvest is poor for the seventh time in succession. For this reason Bedouins find the prospect of indulging in the national pastime of fighting and raiding doubly attractive.

Emir Abdullah, brother of the late King Feisul, told the correspondent: "I have been holding back my people from joining disturbances in the past two months, but it is becoming more and more difficult to restrain them." The Emir is in a tight corner, as Britain contributes £60,000 a year to the country, £12,000 to the Emir's privy purse. The British Transjordania force is inadequate and is already fully occupied in Palestine. Assault on Hill-Top. One British soldier was killed and three were injured when a train was derailed on the Haifa-Lydda line. The rails were removed where the line crosses a culvert. As the engine and a carriage immediately behind toppled over Araba in ambush opened fire, which the soldiers returned. The engine-driver was killed. A British official wireless message says that four Arabs were killed in an engagement with Seaforth Highlanders near Qubalan, a village south-east of Nablus. An armoured car patrol discovered about 50 marauders concealed on a hill-top 200 yards from Jerusalem on the Haifa Road, awaiting the daily convoy. An aeroplane sent a message to the wireless escort of the convoy and a detachment of Seaforths from Nablus skirmished up the hill with a machinegun, dispersing and pursuing the Arabs. A suitcase containing primitive bombs with a smoking fuse was discovered in the cabin of a car. The driver extinguished the fuse and no damage was done.