THE UNSPEAKABLE TURK

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17089, 22 August 1917, Page 10

THE UNSPEAKABLE TURK

MALTREATMENT OF JEWS IN PALESTINE. ROBBERY AND CRUELTY. The Manchester Guardian states that it has received from an exceptional source the details regarding the evacuation of the civil population of Jaffa, which was carried out, ostensibly as a measure of military precaution, early in April. Orders for the evacuation were issued about March 28. These orders were aimed chiefly at the Jewish population. Even German, Austro-Hungarian, and Bulgarian Jews were ordered to leave the town. Mohammedans and Christians were allowed to stay if they weresholders of individual permits. " Such permits were consistently refused to Jews." On April 1 all Jews were ordered to leave the town within 48 hours. No means of transport were provided or obtainable; fares reached fabulous prices. One hundred to two hundred francs were charged for a enrriage from Jaffa to Peath Tikiwah (a distince of about nine miles), instead of tho_ normal faro of 15 to 25 francs Tho native drivers practically refused to accept anything but gold, the Turkish paper note being taken as the equivalent of 17.50 piastres for a note of 100 piastres. Already, about a week earlier, 300 Jews had been deported in a most cruel manner/ from Jerusalem. Djemal Pasha openly declared that the joy of the Jews on the approach of the British forces would be short lived, as he would make them share the fate of the Armenians.

In Jaffa, Djemal Pasha cynically assured the Jews that it was for their own good and interests that they drove them out. Those who had not left on April 1 and following days wero graciously accorded permission to remain in Jaffa over the Easter holidays until April 9.

Thus 8000 Jews were evicted from their houses, and not allowed to carry_ off their belongings or provisions. Their houses were looted arid pillaged, even before the owners had left. A swarm of pillaging Bedouin women, Arabs_ with donkeys, camels, etc., came like birds of prey, and proceeded to carry off valuables anH furniture. " The Jewish suburbs have been totally sacked under the paternal eye' of the authorities." By way of example, two Jews from Yemen were hanged at the entrance of the Jewish suburb of Tel Aviv, in order clearly to indicate the fate in store for any Jews who might be so foolish as to oppose the looters. The "voads to the Jewish colonies to the north of Jaffa aro lined with thousands of starving Jewish refugees. "The most appalling scenes of cruelty and robbery are reported by absolutely reliable eyo witnesses." Dozens of cases are reported of wealthy Jews who were found dead in the sandhills round Tel Aviv. In order to drive

off the bands of robbers preying on the refugees on the roads, the young men of the Jewish villages organised a body of guards to take it in turn to, watch the roads. These guards have been arrested and maltreated by the authorities. The Mohammedan population have also left tho town recently, but they are allowed to live in orchards and country houses surrounding Jaffa, and aro permitted to enter tho town daily to look after the 4 ? property; "but not a single Jew has been allowed to return to Jaffa." The same fate

awaits all Jews in Palestine. Djomal Pasha is cunning: to order coldblooded massacres. His method is to drive the population to starvation and to death by thirst, epidemics, etc., which, according to himself, are merely calamities sent by God. Those who know his methods will not be surprised _ if, after a short time, severe punishment is dealt out to those who have looted and pillaged tinder his orders, or at least with his connivance. This will be in accordance with his settled policy of exciting one part of the population against the other, and exterminating all those who are not Turanians.