LOYALTY TO BRITAIN

Evening Star, Issue 23145, 20 December 1938, Page 9

LOYALTY TO BRITAIN

THE HEBBOHITE ARABS UNION JACK UNFURLED AT DEMONSTRATION Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright JERUSALEM, December 19. Amid handclapping as the Union Jack was unfurled, 3,000 Hebronite Arabs demonstrated their loyalty to Britain in the presence of British political and military dignitaries. A sheik, representing 60,000, thanked the military authorities for dispersing criminal gangs. «

FORMER REBEL LEADER MAKES PEACE DECLARATION BEFORE . THOUSANDS OF PEASANTS. (Independent Cable Service.) JERUSALEM, December 19. Sheik Yessef Abdul Hamid, a former rebel leader with £SOO on his head, made peace yesterday, making the following declaration before General Connor, military commander in Jerusalem, and other officers in the presence of thousands of peasants and villagers on a mountain plateau:—“l have become a good man and am not going to fight any more against the British. I love them like my own brothers. You are messengers of peace, restoring calm to Palestine. We want no other ruler than King George.”

BATTLE WITH TERRORISTS JERUSALEM, December 19. Royal Air Force planes discovered and machine-gunned armed terrorists lying in ambush in Hebron hills for the arrival of Major-general R. N. Connor, military commander in the Jerusalem district, to attend the loyalty demonstations. Infantry rushed up and a battle lasting six hours ensued, a soldier being wounded, while the terrorists suffered casualties. THIRTY ARABS KILLED JERUSALEM, December 19. (Received December 20, at 10.15 a.m.) Thirty Arabs were killed and 15 captured in a Hebron battle. General Connor’s British guard of honour left the demonstration to engage the Arabs, reinforced by the Worcestersbires, who were summoned by wireless. Air Force spotters prevented a serious ambush of the British military and civil administrators.