MARTIAL LAW IN PALESTINE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22538, 1 October 1936, Page 10

MARTIAL LAW IN PALESTINE

' Very wide powers have been given j the officer commanding the British | forces in Palestine. The troops sent Ito do the work of suppressing I violence and restoring the rule of law arc arriving in a steady stream. With the new order just issued martial law can be imposed on the country in grim earnest, and the troops to make it effective will be there in full force. It is a drastic course that Britain is taking as mandatory. It cannot be dictated by self-interest. Possession of the mandate for this territory cannot possibly have brought a return compensating for the trouble and anxiety that have had to be shouldered. Britain did not accept the responsibility with an eye to profiting from it. If this had been the motive it would have been a sorry bargain. In the present instance the declared purpose is to restore order so that the Royal Commission, appointed at the end of July, may begin investigating Arab grievances. This may be the logical course, but it has dangers which Britain must be aware of, and cannot take lightly. Though the Arabs of Palest ine have been advised by some of their fellowMoslems to abandon violence and state their, case to the commission, this is not the feeling of all Islam. According to reliable information there is a stirring and an unrest among large sections of the Arabs, especially the younger men. Transjordania is reported to be exceedingly restive. Even so far away as India non-Arab Moslems have attacked the British policy in Palestine in violent terms. Britain cannot disregard her position as one of the great Moslem Powers of the world, by virtue of the numbers professing that faith who live in countries of the Empire. In face of this Britain is proceeding with the policy of restoring order in Palestine before investigating grievances. It is certainly an instance of following the path of duty rather than expediency.