MONTHLY PAY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23437, 28 February 1938, Page 6

MONTHLY PAY

FOR ARAB TERRORISTS It is now verified that more than 90 per cent, of the Arab terrorist gangs at present operating in Palestine are Syrians, all of whom are equipped with rifles and ammunition and receive monthly salaries from a mysterious source. This was proved (says a special message from Jerusalem to the New York Times) in the successful battle between British forces and Arab gangs in the hills of Galilee in which forty-three Arabs were killed. The officer commanding the British forces stationed small detachments of troops in almost every village of the northern district of Palestine and thus prevented the gangs from entering Arab villages to hide or receive food and water. This forced them into open country, where they were surrounded by troops. The military command is acting most energetically, and there is little doubt that if the present tactics are continued Palestine will be rid; of menacing Arab bands in the very near future • One of the greatest difficulties that the Palestine Government is encountering is murder by sniping in cities, especially on the outskirts. Sir Charles Tegart and his colleague, Sir David Petrie are now studying carefully the form of the country and are working out plans to combat sniping. Both come from India, where they earned reputations for wiping out terrorism. The Government has forbidden the Palestine press to mention their names in any connection or to puDiisn their photographs. .. While the Government is taking all these stringent measures to restore order and public security here, the Italians continue their anti-British nronaganda with increased vigour. ItTthought that the disturbed conditions in Palestine to-day are no longer the result of an existing ArabJewish problem, but rather are due chiefly to an organised campaign by Mussolini against Great Britain.