IN PALESTINE

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XIX, Issue 222, 6 September 1929, Page 5

IN PALESTINE

HIGH COMMISSIONER’S PROCLAMATION COURT TO DEAL WITH OFFENDERS. COMPOSED OF BRITISH JUDGES. (British Official Wirelesa.l (Received 6, 12.30 p.m.) Kuguy, sept. 5. Sir John Chancellor, diiusu High Commissioner in Palestine, has issued a proclamation in which he relers to a law enacted as a measure ot public urgency to provide that courts of trial for criminal cases arising out of the recent disorders will be composed of British Judges. “Representations have been made to me which point to a belief in the minds of certain people that the final of persons charged with criminal acts is to be confined to one section of the population,” says the High Commissioner. “This belief does not correctly interpret the intentions of the Government, which are that, since crimes of various descriptions are known to have been perpetrated by both Arabs and Jews, all offenders, without distinction of race or creed, will be brought to trial before courts to be set up under this ordinance.” RAIDING ARABS.

The Colonial Office states that successful action was taken against a party of raiding Arabs on the evening of September 3 at El Mesha, a village east of Mount Tabor. Twenty-six casualties were inflicted on the raiders while one soldier was slightly wounded. The French authorities in Syria have posted detachments on the Palestine frontier north of Safed in order to prevent the incursion of Arabs into British territory. During Wednesday the situation remained generally quiet. Aircraft continue to carry out systematic patrols over the whole country. A SERIOUS CLASH. BRITISH FORCES ENGAGE BEDOUINS. 'Australian and N.Z Press Association.) London, Sept. 4. The “Daily Express' ” correspondent at Jerusalem states that British troops were in action at the foot of Mount Tabor, where 600 Bedouins were reported at dusk on Tuesday to be advancing upon villages at the foot of the mountain, stealing cattle and sheep. British armoured cars and a detachment of Green Howards were sent to intercept them and a fierce battle is still raging. This is by far the most serious clash in which the British forces have yet been engaged. The latest news i 4 that a mounted column of Arah riders, which attacked the Jewish village of El Mesha and was making off with a great herd of cattle, has been hemmed in on the southern shore of the Sea of Galilee striving to retire to the Arah town of Bcisan. The fighting continues.