MESOPOTAMIA AND PALESTINE.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17401, 11 March 1922, Page 11

MESOPOTAMIA AND PALESTINE.

PRESENT-DAY CONDITIONS. REVIEW BY COLONIAL SECRETARY. (By O&bta—-Press Association—Copyright.) (Australian and N.Z. Cabla AasociationJ (Received March 10th, 5.5 p.ml LONDON. March 9. In the House of Commons, Mr Winston Churchill. Colonial Secretary, reviewing tho conditions in Mesopotamia, said he had been able to roduco the garrison from twenty-three battalions to six, and hoped eventually to reduce it to four. This was possible owing to the Air Forco, of which there were eight squadrons now in the country. The only considerable body of Imperial troops there was stationed noar Mosul to guard against possible Turkish hostile movements. Mr Churchill said that, thanks to tho new air mail service, the distance between London and Baghdad had been reduced from six weeks to a fortnight. The distance had actually been covered in sovon davs.

Mesopotamia had had a poacefui year, thanks to tho establishment of the independent Arab State of Irak, under King Feisul. Mr Chm'ohill emphasised the diflicujty in Palestine. He said this was because Britain was openly pledged to the Zionist to which the Arab majority in Palestine was unsympathetic. Nino thousand carefullyselected Jewish settlers had been admitted to the oonntrv, and had introduced wealth and industry. The costs of administration would be reduced from £8,000,000 for the current year to £4,000,000 nest year, and thereafter to £2.000,000 a year. Mr Asquith predicted that trouble was inevitable with the Kurds, and possibly the Turks. He said a real lasting treaty with Turkey was necessary to the security of MesopotamiaHe would never be a party to any policy jvhich would result in tho establishment of Turkish rule over a Christian population.