CAUGHT BY ARABS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23191, 10 November 1938, Page 13

CAUGHT BY ARABS

AUCKLAND YISITOES EXPERIENCE IN PALESTINE VICTIMS FINALLY RELEASED MR. AND MRS. CALDER MACKAY [from our own correspondent] PERTH, Nov. 2 To have been captured by Arabs in Jericho and held prisoner for some time was the recent experience of Mr. W. Calder Mackay, assistant general manager of the Farmers' Trading Company, Limited, Auckland, and Mrs. Mackay. After an extensive world tour embracing 25 countries, .Air. and Mrs. Mackay are returning to the. Dominion by the Stratlnuore. having been absent since March 25. Tlie.v have just come direct iron 1 Palestine, where they were the first visitors in Jericho for four, mouths, and the only tourists there at the time.

Arabs captured Mr. and Mrs. Mackay on their arrival at Jericho, held them under close guard, and hinted significantly at their possible fate. They were released -when their captors eventually realised they were tourists, and not on a political mission. Wore Arab Head-dress Mr. Mackay said the reason he was not shot at sight was that he wore Arab head-dress the whole time he was in Palestine. Their experience, he said, showed them that it was unsafe to move about unless escorted by an armoured car. They found the sympathy even of the British troops was with the Arabs, although the troops had to do their best to suppress the revolts which were continually breaking out. According to Mr. Mackay, the Government had armed many Jews in Palestine, and yet had made it punishable by death for Arabs to haVe any firearms in their possession. Arab policemen had only truncheons. Those who knew the real facts admitted that the Arabs had a lot of justification on their side, and said the partition plan would never be workable as far as Palestine was concerned. Pear oi Rising

If hostilities had broken out in, Europe, as seemed likely recently, there was no question that the Arabs in Palestine, Syria and other countries would have risen against Britain, Mr. Mackay said. The Arabs were naturally against the Zionist movement. The trouble was that 75 per cent of the Jews in Palestine.were not interested in the Zionist movement. On the other hand, the "sweepings" of Europe wero finding Palestine a place of >refuge, and were bringing Communistic and Bolshevistic ideas into that country. That fact complicated Britain's position. Mr. and Mrs. Calder Mackay will arrive at Auckland by tho Strathmore on November 18.