THE MIDDLE EAST

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLI, Issue XLI, 7 May 1921, Page 5

THE MIDDLE EAST

MR CHTmCRItLJi'S VISIT,

IMPERIAL ROUTE

EIGHT DAYS %® LONDON

XT 'CAKUt-HPftESS fc'SSGCEA.TION—COPYRICHT

LONDON, May 6.' The ©aily Telegraph says that as a result Mr Winaton Churchill's visit to the Middle East-we are likely to get » definite and clear-cut policy, but the great difficulty i*ito reconcile economy of the ta^payeKf 1' tinoney with the deiinands which the and development of the Empire make necessary. Two ..great principles propounded are the establishment of a great Imperial air route from Europe over India to Australia, and the organisation of the Mifidle JJasi-sassaoihain of native autonomous States, feudally related to this country. In pursuance, of these main objects the .following will probably be .proposed. '•- . , ,

Mesopotamia will become a. rencfiezvous "of tiihe Umperial Air Foroe, will "he the paramount factor in ( ffiihat regiGai. TThe; aerial routes'fco India and Australia will pass the greaf! plains of the -Tigris and Euphrates, When -3A»4triiia can be reached by aeroplane in eight days, Mesopotamia viwill be an . intermediary station. An independent Arab State in Mesopotamia will.be created forthwith, with a native prince. The candidature «tf "Emir Feisul .wfll'be considered favosKr:dbry. 'I&e B-rfdget of the civil adnaiaai'sitration -.will, be7/independent of any grants from; the' British Exchequer, ibutfe substantial grants should be available for the maintenance of the Imperial tforoe. vlfhis .TOSllbbe reduced to twentyfour battalions, and within a year t© '.twelve and Indian battalions, while-vMien an air force is organised to police the ' the troops will ibe re>d\iGeldtfco a brigade. The railways wll be put into .private hands. The <s<dv'has had1; an offer to :buy :them. 'Native urnied forces vrilii fee,createdl.tov:work\.in conjunction with tthe Imperialiforce.

KuxHistan will be. formed into a separate , autonomous province. Transjordariia will •remain a separate Ara* State under Emir Abdulwah. The organisation <5f Palestine will remain as .at prfesent, uthe holy places being placed under a commission, under a !';promin«nt Englishman, including Moslems and Jews. 'The iport of Haifr will | Ibe developed. 'The organisation of the; native States in^Ara'bia will be perfected under King^Hedjaz Iman of Yemen. The main idea is to get rid-of all the minor troubles>wJch local affairs, leaving all these to the governments of (the I inactive-: States. ,