JEWS WARNED

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23166, 12 October 1938, Page 15

JEWS WARNED

HOSTILE_ARABS I PALESTINE DISPUTE ' DEPARTURE required j SINISTER ALTERNATIVE DEFIANCE OF BRITAIN By Telegraph—Press Association —Qopyright (Received October 11, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON. Oct. 10 The president of the Palestine Defence Committee, Nabih Elzame, has a telegram to Dr. CJhaim Weizmann, leader of the world .Zionist organisation, couched in terms tantamount to an ultimatum from the Arabs to the Jews. The message said:— "Even if you have to be entirely annihilated, the Arabs will not let you instal yourselves in Arab Palestine.

.• "If Britain resorts to war on your behalf, she cannot defend you from the Arab countries of the world." The impression that Palestine is on the brink of dramatic and historic changes is strengthened, not only by the trend of the conversattons between Mr, Malcolm Mac Donald, Colonial Secretary, Sir Hugh Mac Michael, High Commissioner for Palestine, and Viscount Gort, Chief of the Imperial General Staff, but by the news that leading Arab confidants of the exiled Grand Mufti, whose influence spreads throughout Palestine," are coming to London immediately after the termination of the Arab Congress at Cairo. Xore Troops being Despatched Two troopships With two battalions ftnd two companies of British troops, also tank corps details, have arrived st Haifa. Sporadic shooting outrages continue. The third battalion of the Coldstream (guards and the first battalion of the Boyal Northumberland Fusiliers are to be sent from Egypt to Palestine. The surrender of authority by the Palestine Government is unprecedented, lays the Jerusalem correspondent of the Daily Telegraph. The rebels domin-r ate the entire south. Government con(trol is confined to the boundaries of Jerusalem, Tel-a-viv and Haifa. The military forces have reclaimed Bethlehem, and Beersheba, while the rebels hold Hebron, Ramallah and most of the Nablus area. Magistrates' Courts sit only in six eities. apd all records have been burnt. The rebels hold their own courts dealing with appeals from the Government and civii cases, and being occasionally impartial. These Arab courts sentence those who fail to serve * the Arab cause and punish highway robbers. Abandonment of a Railway s The Jerusalem-Lj'dda railway has been abandoned. A tri-weekly armed daylight service has replaced the normal routine. Communication to Egypt is tia Kantara. Intimidation has compelled the disarmament of most of the Arab police in'the employment of the traffic service.

About 8000 British and Jewish policemen guard .key points. The main cause of the collapse of the Goveniinent's' authority is failure to provide'sufficient troops and police.