BRITISH POLICY

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 49, 26 August 1930, Page 9

BRITISH POLICY

PALESTINE MANDATE

SEQUEL TO DISORDERS

REPLY TO COMMISSION

British Offlcial Wireless. . ('Received 26th August, 11 a.m.)

BTJGBY, 25th August

The disturbances in Palestino in August and September of last year are the subject of comments in the general re--y>rt of the Permanent Mandates Comjaiission' *P *he Council of the League of Nations, which was published in Geneva this morning. Tho report contains criticisms of tho Mandatory Power, respecting its policy during the past fivo years, and these are dealt with in a memorandum by tho British (Government, which has been published pimultaneously with the report.

The latter document analysing tho jeport says that it is divided into three parts. The first contains a commentary on the nature of the outbreak and {il the/ attitude and conduct of the [andatory Power before the outreak. The second deals with tho steps feken by the Mandatory Power to regtOVO and maintain order. The third deals with future policy. As regards the soeond 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 tho Mandates Commission. Tho British Government is also glad to note that the Commission considers that tho statement of i]fcs accredited representative regarding the suspension of certain immigration permits should dispel the fears which have been expressed in Jewish .circles as to the Mandatory Power's inclination to discharge in full its obligations to encourage Jewish immigration and to ensure the establishment of a Jewish National Homo under the conditions stipnlated in tho rnanwfiate f It is also noted that the Commission appeared disposed to acquit tho British Government of any charge of failure in its obligations or its immediate, duties in regard to tho establishment of a regime of self-government in In the first part of the report, howover, it ie observed that numerous and, in some eases, somewhat serious, criticisms are levelled against the Mandatory Power -in rospeet of its policy during the past five years. - Perhaps the moat important criticism is that ' the partial inaction of tho Mandatory Power as regards its obligations to the Palestinian population, both.Arab and Jewish, is the fundamental causeof the friction which eventually culminated in the serious disorders of August. Particular emphasis.is laid upon tho allegation that failure, to promote agricultural and educational dovolopmont and a more extensive programme of public works and to encourage co-operation "between Jews and Arabs is the cause of dissatisfaction on the part of Arabs■with tho mandatory'regime. This criticism is the more alarming in view of the fact that since the British acceptance of the mandate the common t of the Permanent Mandate? Commission 6annot be Baid to have foreshadowed in any way the charges now brought. ■ JEWS AND AEABS. It is argued that a more active policy on the part of the British Government in promoting tho interests of the Arabs in the- social and .economic spheres and in bringing tho two sections of the population, Jewish and Arab, into close association would have blunted the edge of antagonism. Such argument fails to take account of the paramount importance hitherto attached/by the Arab leaders to the political issue, and it ignores the fact that the demands of the. !&.rabs have always been for a particular form of representation which would be plainly incompatible with the execution of the mandate. Bepeated ofiers of the British Government to associate Arabs and JeWB 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 wore more- than once brought to their notice by an accredited representative. Moreover, the British Government desires to emphasise the fact that the obligation imposed on them by a mandate of complex character that the mandatory shall be responsible for placing the country under such political administrative and economic conditions as will secure: (1) The establishment of a Jewish National Homo as laid" down in the preamble, and (2) the development of self-govern-ing institutions and also for safeguarding of the civil and religious rights of alf inhabitants of Palestine, irrespective of raco or religion." CORE OF THE PBOBLEM. Nevertheless, in its report the Commission, in summarising the immediate obligation of the mandatory, makes no reference to tho important qualification that the mandatory shall also be responsible for "safeguarding the civil and religions rights of all inhabitants of Palestine, irrespective of race and 10Thi3?'in the opinion of the British Government, is the core of tho problem. Although the difficult nature of the task is elsewhere to some* extent recognised, the bearing of this particular obligation upon the problem of devisincr measures which would admit of an increasing development of the two races sidl by side is largely ignored., Surprise- is expressed that the findings of the Shaw Commission on a. question of fact, such as tho causes and responsibility for the outbreaks, have been in some cases ignored ana in others called, in question, while criticisms taken from Jewish memorandum and other sources, which Tcaehed the Mandatory Power too late for inclusion comment., have been adopted. Beferring to the dissout from Uio definite conclusion of the SUaw Commission that the outbreaks were w>t premeditated tho memorandum states that the British Government cannot but ieel tint tho grounds on which the mandates Commission differs from the conclusion are scarcely adequate. ahe British Government does not nnd any evidence of the view taken in the report that the Shaw Commission was wrong in holding that tho outbreak vis not an outbreak against British authority. Protests by various Arab ■minorities quoted in support are, it is stated, directed against the fundamental position in Palestine us fixed by the mandate itself; they are protests :iot against British authority, but against the mandate and the action of the League of Nations. NO ATTACK ON BRITISH. "Whatever may havo been the attitude of Arab leaders, tho significant fact remains - that,: during the disturbance no attack was mailo or attempted on local representatives of British authority.- This fact, which speaks for itself and which was directly brought to its notice by an accredited representative, finds* no place in tho report of the Permanent Mandates Commission.'* . Ksgarding the eoßriusions in the *c-

port as to tho inadequacy of the armed forces At the disposal of tho local administration it is not deniod that the forces immediately availablo were inadequate to deal with sudden and widespread disturbances, but satisfaction was expressed by the Commission in 1925 that peace and order existing had enabled the Mandatory Power to maintain only a, very small armed force in the country, is recalled, and it is noted that tho Commission, when considering tho Palestine report only a month beforo the outbreak, gave no indication that it regarded thoso forces as inadequate. Tho Commission has all along known the composition of the Palestine polieo 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 bo unreliable when tested, it is to be regretted that the Commission did not warn the Mandatoroy Power of the danger which it was incurring.

"To maintain order in a territory by a polieo force from which the inhabitants of that territory are pxcluded is a policy which the British Goveminent, 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. It feels that it was justified in adopting in the case of Palestine a system' which has been attended with suqeess in many other territories and which it has still reason to hope will prove successful in Palestine."

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