Oroua Downs

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 180, 2 August 1938, Page 3

Oroua Downs

From Our Own Correspondent. At the weekly meeting of tho W.8.A., presided over by Air E. W. Thompson. Airs Hobbs gave a lecture on Palestine. Airs Hobbs referred to ancient Palestine, its wonderful countryside and walled cit iee, etc., and how at a later date they were driven out of the country by the Kings of Babylon and were spread far and wide. There hod been no king in Palestine since 650 B.C. For many years the Turks were in control of the country and in the time of the Great War they tried to take control of the Suez Canal. It was during the war that the Jews ana Arabs fought side by side with tho Eng lish to drive the Turks out of Palestine After the war Britain gave the Arabs a mandate extending as lar as 37 degrees north latitude. Later, Britain gave Palestine to the Jews as their national homo aond this caused a little eimiity between the two peoples. Although the Jews were returning to Palestine, ilttie notice was taken by the Arabs until the numbers increased to such an extent that the Arabs were afraid of being driven out. The Jews who returned spent large sums of money on improvements, whicn wore accepted by the Arabs. The Jews also improved tho Arab standard of living, which was very low. Tho question now raised wa*. "Was it not right that the Jews should once more have the country for their own?” Airs Hobbs contended* that ancient prophecy decreed that the Jews uhould return to Palestine. .She also said that it was necessary for Britain to control Palestine because of the important salt works a(, tho Dead Sea and the oil pipe line which ran to the coast. After a discussion, ihe following reso lution was carried: “That this class considers that the only way to satisfactorilv settle the problem in Palestine is to allow the bona fide inhabitants of Palestine, irrespective of race, colour or creed, the right to govern themselves.”