TERRORIST TACTICS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 235, 4 October 1937, Page 7

TERRORIST TACTICS.

Sequel to Dramatic Coup in Palestine. THREATENING LETTERS. (Received 8.30 a.m.) JERUSALEM, October 3. A decree has been issued which renders the Grand Mufti ineligible for appointment to the presidency of the Supreme Moslem Courts, to which his supporters were endeavouring to secure his election.

New arrests include three notables at Jaffa. These have resulted in threats of general strikes there and at Nablus. All is now quiet but police leave has been cancelled and armoured cars are patrolling the highways. All officers and troops have been instructed to carry revolvers and side arms respectively.

The Government's coup is believed to have nullified concerted action by the Arabs, who boast that others will carry on the campaign. According to the British United Press, the coup was prompted by the fact that a number of senior British officials had received threatening letters in the past few days in which they were advised to give up their posts or suffer "the same fate as District Commissioner Andrews and Constable McEwan, who were shot dead in Galilee.

Both voluntarily and under intimidation, bands of youths in Jerusalem are celebrating the birth of the Prophet. Arabs are extensively closing their shops as a protest against the arrests. The movement is expected to extend to other towns, but emergency regulations permit the authorities to order reopening of shops. Strong Anti-British Feeling. The Grand Mufti urges Arabs to return to work, but the general strike movement has been intensified. Hooligans drenched crates of vegetables with kerosene and strewed the roads with nails. Arab women will demonstrate against the deportations. Arrests at Jaffa include AH Dabagh, head of the Moslem Youth Group, and other notables who have been sentenced to six months. Four Jewish Communists have been deported. H.M. cruiser Sussex has returned to Haifa after having transferred five Arab leaders to JJie destroyer Active, en route to the Seychelle Islands. BLOW TO PRESTIGE. GRAND MUFTI'S STATUS. British Official Wireless. RUGBY, October 3. Commenting on the action taken by the British authorities in Palestine, "The Times" says it will cause feelings of intense relief in many quarters in that country. "This relief," says "The Times," "will not be confined to Jews.

"Before the end of last year's disturbances several prominent Arabs of moderate views had been killed or attacked by terrorist gunmen." Since the middle of April nine Arab notables have been murdered, two have been wounded and many more have been blackmailed. All these men were opponents or critics of the policy of the Mufti of Jerusalem. "The influence of the Grand Mufti is likely to be shaken. He has lost two high offices which gave him control of large funds and the appointment of about 1500 clerics, who must preach his politics. These losses may well reduce his status to that of an Arab politician among other politicians. "It must be recognised that the unfortunate effects of the long and useless experiment in conciliation attempted by Sir Arthur Wauchope will not disappear immediately, and that effect cannot be given to the recommendations of the Royal Commission until the British mandatory authorities have restored public confidence by ensuring the order and security which the Holy Land deserves."