ASSYRIAN CHRISTIANS

Evening Star, Issue 22275, 28 February 1936, Page 9

ASSYRIAN CHRISTIANS

LEAGUE'S SETTLEMENT SCHEME SUBSTANTIAL CONTRIBUTION FROM BRITAIN (British Official Wireless.) Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright RUGBY, February 26. The League of Nations scheme for settlement of Assyrian Christians was discussed in the House of Commons last night, when Lord Cranborne spoke on the supplementary vote of £60,000 which represents the first instalment of Britain’s contribution of £250,000 towards the scheme. He described the scheme as a most interesting innovation. It had been suggested in some quarters, said Lord Cranborne, that the Assyrians were brought into the world war by the British Government, which therefore had a special responsibility towards them. That was not true. They we.ro brought in to aid the Russia. i forces. While the British Government could not accept any responsibility, it did not disguise its special interest in a satisfactory solution of the problem, he said. A settlement in the Ghat area of territories under the French mandate in the Levant had now been arranged, and it was calculated that the transfer of Assyrians would cost £1,146,000, of which £826,000 would go to reclamation and £320,000 to settlement. The British contribution of £250,000 represented five-twelfths of the total cost. He mentioned that Britain had already spent £4,000,000 on the upkeep of Assyrians.