DOUBLE DUTY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 279, 25 November 1938, Page 7

DOUBLE DUTY.

PALESTINE PROBLEM.

Britain Holds Balance Between

Jews and Arabs.

MINISTER'S STATEMENT,

British Official Wireless.

(Received tn.riO p.m.)

RLOT?\, November 24.

Mr. Malcolm Mac-Donald, Dominions Secretary, opening the House of Commons Palestine debate, said that it had not been possible pending the publication of the Woodhcad report to make a constructive effort for peace. It had meanwhile been necessary to concentrate upon dealing with the campaign of assassination, which had developed into an Arab revolt against liritish authorities. Forces now at the disposal ot the Government were steadily re-establishing order. "We all know that certain interested propagandists have been levelling manv foul charges against the conduct"of outtroops. I see a good many things at the Colonial Office, but I 'have never seen any evidence in support of those charges.

contrary, the occupation of the Old City of Jerusalem a few weeks ago was an example of the wav in which British troops can, with perfect humanity as well as with perfect success, conduct a delicate military operation among a civilian population, but the real problem in Palestine is not military, but political. Our troops can restore order—they cannot restore peace. The Government has to do that."

Wonderful Work of Jews.

The problem in Palestine was stated brilliantly in a report bv the Peel Commission. First of all' there are the Jews. Nearly 2000 years ago their home was Palestine, and since then tliev nave been dispersed and scattered ail over the fac-e of the earth, but during the last 20 years many of them have been hastening back to Palestine under the terms of the mandate entrusted bv over 50 nations to Britain. Since 1922 over 250,000 Jews have entered Palestine and settled there.

Mr. Mac Donald added that their achievements were remarkable. Tliev had turned sand and dust into orange groves. They had created a new citv, housing to-day 140,000 souls, where 'there was formerly only a bare seashore.

The Jews were in Palestine not on sufferance but by right, and to-day. under the lash of persecution in ' Central Europe, their eagerness to return to their own home land had been multiplied one hundred-fold. The tragedy of a people who had no country has never been so deep as it. has been this week.

"I must utter this word of warning." he continued. "When we promised tile Jews a national home in Palestine we ne\er anticipated this tierce persecution in Kurope. We had made no promise that that country should be a home for everyone who was seeking to escape from such an imminent calamity, and even if there was no other population. Palestine, with its rather meagre soil, could not in fact support more than a fraction of those Jews who might wish to escape from Kurope. The problem of refugees in Central Europe cannot be settled in Palestine. It has got to be settled over a far wider field.

' The British Empire, of course, can make its contribution, and it is making a contribution to-day, but at the present time, despite disturbance, emigrants are going to Palestine week after week at the rate of about 1000 montlilv."

The Government, said Mr. MacDonald, announced a short time ago the next definite stage in its Palestine policy, namely.""" discussions bv Arabs and Jews in and tliev could not do anything now w>ich woulil prejudice the chance of these discussions ending successfully. It was in tlie host interests for the Jews themselves that the future policy in Palestine should as far as possible be based on a wide agreement.

Justice of Arab Cause.

Referring to the Arabs. Mr. MacDonald recalled that they had lived in the country for many centuries. They were not consulted when the Balfour declaration was made, nor when the mandate was framed, and during these post-war years they have watched, with an occasional angry protest, this peaceful invasion of an alien people. They wondered whether a halt was ever goinu to be called to it, and feared that it was going to be their fate in the land of their birth to be dominated by an energetic neweoming people—dominated economically, politically and commercially.

A great many people regarded the Arab agitation as a mere protest by a gang of bandits, and it was true that many Arabs who had taken part most eagerly in the trouble, were cut-throats of the worst type, but there was much more than that in the Arab movement. They must recognise that many in the Palestinian movement were moved by genuine patriotism.

Mr. Mac Donald proceeded to refer to the growth of the Arab population. It is now 990,000, and it is estimated that it will reach 1,500,000 in 20 vears.

Mr. Mac Donald added that the Arabs could not say the Jews were driving them out of their country. Had 110 single Jew come into Palestine after 15)18 the Arab population to-day would still have J>een round about (iOtI.OOO. It Mas because the Jews had oonio, bringing modern health services and other advaiita™es. that Arab men and women who would have been dead were alive to-dav and Arab children, who would never have drawn breath, had been born and grown strong.

It was not merely the Jews who benefited by the Balfour declaration. The Arabs also benefited very greatly. He knew the Arabs feared to lose tlieir freedom and be dominated by Jews if the process went on.

"We cannot put the Jews under domination of the Arabs in Palestine, but also, unless we can remove that Arab fear that they are going to be put under domination of the Jews, we shall have to face hostile people over a great and we shall have to lock up a great part of our Army in Palestine under treaty."