PALESTINE SITUATION

Greymouth Evening Star, 29 August 1929, Page 5

PALESTINE SITUATION

BRITISH RESTORING ORDER

AIRMEN SCATTER RAIDERS

(Official Wireless).

RUGBY, August 28. The Colonial Office states that there is little change .in the situation in Palestine. Jerusalem, Jaffa, and Haifa are reported quiet, the disorder in the neighbourhood of the last-named place being satisfactorily dealt with by a naval detachment from the warship Barnham. Aircraft have been employed reconnoitring the disturbed areas, and fire from the air has been opened on partiles of Arabs in the neighbourhood of Haifa, Ramleh and on the hills around Jerusalem. A strong Arab concentration was reported south-east of Gaza, but aircraft have been unable to locate any parties of Arabs in that neighbourhood, and no attack has so far materialised. Last night continuous attacks on Beit Alpha, four miles west of Beisan, were successfully repulsed by a detachment of the Trans-Jordian frontier force. The telephone lines from Jerusalem to Nazareth, Haifa, and Tiberias are reported cut. The situation in Trans-Jordama is reported normal. No reinforcements other than those mentioned in yesterday’s statement have been despatched to Palestine.

“DECIDEDLY EASIER.”

LONDON, August 27.

The “Daily Express’s” special correspondent, at Jerusalem, confirms tha,t the position is decidedly easier. British troops are stationed in the most disturbed areas, and with the news of the arrival of three more British warships at Haifa, the populace experienced a marked sense of relief. The Arabs, nevertheless, seem to have embarked on a determined guerilla crusade against the Jews. The principal disturbances have been at Haifa, where a number of Arabs and Jews were killed. Jerusalem was quiet on Monday afternoon, the situation being entirely in the hands of the British command.

DAMASCUS DEMONSTRATION.

BEIRUT, August 28.

Troops have been rushed to the Jewish quarter at Damascus, following on a hostile demonstration by twenty thousand Arabs.

APPEAL TO LEAGUE.

GENEVA, August 27.

Petitions from both the Arabs and the Zionists, demanding the intervention of the League of Nations in Palestine, have already reached-the League Secretariat. ' It is certain that the situation will be brought up at the League Assembly next Monday.

FRENCH PRECAUTIONS.

(United Service.)

PARIS, August 28.

The French Government, in view of the serious disorders in Palestine, is despatching the battleship Lamotte Picquet to Syrian waters.

ARAB MANIFESTO.'

LONDON, August 28.

A manifesto, sent to London from Jersusalem on behalf of the National Arab League, asserts that the troubles have arisen through the policy of the past decade, despoiling the Arabs of political rights and attempting to build up a non-existent nationalist policy upon the ruins of Arab nationality, in pursuance of the Balfour declaration. Permanent peace can only be secured by conceding the just Arab demands, and abolishing the Balfour declaration.

ADMINISTRATION CRITICISED.

(Times Cables.)

LONDON, August 28.

“The Times” has a leading article, commenting on “the deplorable incidents at the Wailing Wall.” It says: “These outbreaks have been so numerous as to convey the impression of a premeditated, organised movement which demands a searching investigation, both of the criminals themselves, and of those we placed in authority in Palestine. Why were the forces insufficient to keep the peace when it was notorious that troubles might arise at any time? Armed insurrection could hardly have been chosen at a better time when most of the Departmental heads were absent on leave. A repetition of this sordid, cowardly civil war must be rendered impossible. The Orientals will construe concessions as weakness, and the co-religionists of both the Jews and the Arabs will narrowly seek for signs of vacillation. If we shrink from our plain duty, fresh attempts to wrest new concessions are bound to follow, not only in Palestine, but on the part of some fomenters of disorder in other lands.”

CANADIAN CONTINGENT.

OTTAWA, August 27. An offer of one thousand volunteers for immediate service in Palestine has been cabled to Mr MacDonald by Jewish citizens of Toronto.

AN AUCKLAND REQUEST.

AUCKLAND, August 28. On behalf of the Jewish community in Auckland, the President of the Auckland Hebrew congregation, Mr N. A. Nathan, has requested the Prime Minister, Sir Joseph Ward, to cable the British Government the deep concern felt in New Zealand regarding the position in Palestine, and expressing confidence that adequate measures will be taken to deal with the situation.