JEWS AND ARABS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21163, 22 October 1930, Page 9

JEWS AND ARABS

THE PALESTINE PROBLEM. MAINTENANCE OF PEACE. BRITISH POLICY OUTLINED. (British Official Wireless ) (■United Press Association.) (By Electric Telegraph— Copyright.) RUGBY, October 20. A White Paper which has been issued contains an important statement of British policy drafted after careful consideration of the report of Sir John Hope Simpson, the special investigator upon land settlement, immigration, and development who was sent out to Palestine by the British Government. Sir John Simpson’s report is issued simultaneously. The Government’s statement lays repeated emphasis on the fact that no policy, however enlightened, or however vigorouly can succeed unless it is. supported, not merely by acceptance, but by .the willing co-operation of the communities' for whose benefit it is designed. The Government makes it clear that “ it will not he moved by any pressure or threat's from the path laid down in the mandate, and from the pursuit of its policy, which aims at promoting the interests of the inhabitants of Palestine, both Arabs, and Jews, in a manner which shall be consistent with the obligations which the mandate imposes.” As .it is the primary duty of the Administration to,ensure peace, incitement to disorder or disaffection in whatever quarter they . may originate . will he severely punished, and the power of the Administration will, so far as may be necessary, be enlarged to enable it to deal, more effectively with any such dangerous and ' unwarrantable attempts. The Government will retain for the pre--sent .two battalions of infantry in Palestine, and in addition two squadrons of aircraft' and four sections of armoured cars will be available in Palestine and Transj'ordania. The Government has decided .that the time has arrived for a further step in the direction of a grant to the people of Palestine of a measure of self-govern-ment compatible, with the terms of the mandate. It-accordingly intends to set lip a Legislative Council generally on the lines suggested by Mr Churchill in June of 1922, and trusts that on the occasion - 'it will secure the co-operation of all sections, of the-population. While the Government would deeply regret any attempt on-the part of any section of the population to prevent it from giving effect to its decision, all possible steps will he taken to circumvent such an attempt if it is made, since it considers it to be in the interests of the population of the country as a whole that the further step now proposed should no longer be deferred. ,

' The new Legislative Council will consist of the High Commissioner and 22 members, of whom 10 will be official and 12 unofficial. The last-named will normally be elected by a primary and secondary election. To avoid a repetition of the deadlock which occurred in 1023, steps will be devised to ensure the appointment of . a requisite number of unofficial, members to the council in the event of one or more members failing to be elected bn account of the non-co-opera-tion of any .section of the populations or for.any other reason. The High Commissioner will continue to have - the necessary power to ensure that the mandatory shall be enabled to carry ottt.iijts ..obligations - to, .thfe League ■off. Nations,-- including any legislation urgently required, as well as the main-tenance-of order.

. Regarding economic and social development) the statement says definitely that at the present time, and with the present > methods of Arab cultivation, there'remains .no margin of land available for agricultural settlement for new immigrants, with the exception of such undeveloped land as .the various Jewish agencies hold in reserve. The condition of the Arab" fellah, leaves much .to be desired) and a policy of land development is called for if improvement in his conditions of.life is to be effected. ■ It is recalled that the terms of the mandate - require that in facilitating Jewish immigration .and settlement the Administration must ensure that the rights and position of the other sections of the population are not prejudiced. The statement considers that to this end more methodical agricultural development is required. If the immigration of Jews results in preventing the Arab population from obtaining the work necessary for its maintenance, or if Jewish unemployment unfavourably affects the general labour position, it is clearly thin duty of the mandatory Power under the mandate to reduce, or if necessary suspend, such immigration until the unemployed portion of the -other sections is in a position to obtain work. The Government regards the suspension of immigration under the Labour schedule last May as fully justified.

The statement adds: “ A hasty decision in regard to more unrestricted Jewish immigration is strongly deprecated, not only : from the point of view of the interests of the Palestine population as a whole, but even from the special point of view of the Jewish com.munity. So, long .as a widespread suspicion exists, and it does exist, among the Arab population that the economic depression under which it undoubtedly suffers at present is largely due to excessive Jewish immigration, and so long as some grounds exist that this suspicion may be plausibly represented to be well founded, there can be little hope of any improvement in the mutual relations of the two races; but it is upon such improvement that the future peace and prosperity of Palestine must largely depend. It is hoped that changes may be devised in the method of preparation of the laboui schedule '-’neb will tend tto promote amicable relations between the Jewish, authorities in Palestine and the Immigration Department, and facilitate an agreed schedule based upon a thorough understanding on both sides of the economic needs of the country. 3 ’ A JEWISH NATIONAL HOME. REPORT STERILISES HOPE. LONDON, October 20. (Received Oct. 21, at 5.5 p.m. ) Dr C. Weizmann has sent a letter to Lord. Passfield announcing his resignation from both the Zionist world organisation and the Jewish agency for Palestine, but-convoking a congress of both bodies, because the Palestine report sterilises the hope of the Jewish people regarding a national home in Palestine, particularly the conditions of land settlement for new migrants.