REACTION UNFAVOURABLE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19372, 9 July 1937, Page 5

REACTION UNFAVOURABLE

DISPARITY IN ACREAGE WAILING WALL PRAYER TROOPS STANDING BY (Elec. Tel. Copyright—United Press Assn.) LONDON, July 7. A message from Jerusalem says that the first reactions of both Arabs and Jews to the report of the Palestine Royal Commission are most unfavourable.

Official Jewish bodies declare that they cannot conceive of a Jewish political State without Jerusalem. They also complain that the partition scheme is unjust because the hew Arab State will have 15,000,000 acres, while the Jewish State only 1,250,000 acres.

Arab official quarters, on the other hand, object to the Jews getting most of the fertile agricultural areas and also declare that the repatriation of the Arab population from the Jewish State is unworkable as the Arabs refuse to leave their present homes.

In Jerusalem the first Jewish reaction was an assemblage at the Wailing Wall to pray against the partition of Palestine. Jewish opinion is strongly against any further diminution of their territory.

Faud Saba, Secretary of the Arab Higher Committee, declared: "It's too bad. There will be considerable disappointment."

The Moslem leader, Nahas Hibi, declined to comment for two days.

Complete military preparations have been made to prevent disorder. Troops are standing by throughout the country. General Sir Arthur Wauchope, High Commissioner for Palestine, in a broadcast address, strongly urged the acceptance of the commission's recommendations, saying that the partition scheme would create a new era for goodwill and contentment alike for Arabs and Jews.