The Guardian (And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times.) THURSDAY, MAY 8th, 1924. PALESTINE AND MOROCCO.

Hokitika Guardian, 8 May 1924, Page 2

The Guardian (And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times.) THURSDAY, MAY Bth, 1924. PALESTINE AND MOROCCO.

Palestine and Mmurco might. at first sight .su'm to have little in eominon tliat they sliouUt i.e dealt with in eonjunction. But Sir Martin Cuinvay in a hook descriptive of the two countries observes that there is one point of resemblance between them. They are what Oe terms “Lands of the Overlap.’’ '1 hey are the scene of the interminglin'; ot Western and Kastern civilisation, rhe West has passed front Turkey; it is passing in.ni Egypt; Algeria and I unis have been virtually Occidentaliscd. But in Morocco the two elements exist side hy side. The impact of West upon Last is discernible. To both tlie West eaine quite reeently. The French protectorate over Morocco was declared only twelve years ago. while Britain was invested with a mandate over Palestine by the Treaty of Versaillies. Tn both the Western Power has much to do, and, according to Sir Martin Conway France is doing it rather better than Britain, although her difficulties are not so great. The British aro supposed to have a peculiar genius for colonisation, rml certainly no other nation can boast such achievements as the settlement of the white dominions or the gift of order and prosperity to lii'-ia and Egypt. But in regard to the government of subject races, the French method, although radically different. lias been remarkably successful. It is noteworthy that during the Great War, when the French garrisons and many of the .native troops had been withdrawn from the French colonics, there was nevertheless not a whisper of rebellion. The French way is to leave the natives pretty much alone. They put an end to abuses, but otherwise do not interfere. Thus in Morocco there is no attempt to denationalise the Moroccans, or to interfere with their manners and customs. In Palestine Britain’s gravyst problem is how

to reconcile the Arabs and the Zionist Jews, who have come in since Palestine was detached from the Ottoman Empire. The Arabs, who fo:m the rural element, the peasantry, fear the Jews, and resent their intrusion. As the Arabs constitute more than threequarters of the population, and the Jews only about 10 per cent., one would have thought that there was little ground for apprehension. Surely the Arabs can hold their own. But though extremely quick-witted themselves, they have a wholesome respect for the Jews’ tenacity and business ability. They arc afraid that they may gradually be edged out. Tlicv insist, moreover that Palestine should become an independent Arab State, either on its own account, or in federation with Traq and the Media?,. Sir Martin Conway, however, maintains that the Western Powers can never acquiesce in this. From time immemorial the land route to the East has l>een through Syria. The sea route is by the Sue?. Cmt'l. Palestine lies between the two, and is situated on the airway to the East. With the development of aerial communications the land route promises to recover much of its former importance, and the West cannot afford to run the risk of having its access to the East closed by Palestine. as a potential barrier.