IRAQI PLAN FOR PALESTINE

Southland Times, Issue 23633, 7 October 1938, Page 5

IRAQI PLAN FOR PALESTINE

Arabs And Jews To Co-operate

GRADUAL TRANSFER OF CONTROL

BRITISH USE AIRCRAFT IN CLASH WITH REBELS

(United Press Assn.—Telegraph Copyright) (Received October 6, 11.5 p.m.) LONDON, October 6. The Daily Telegraph says that the Iraqi Foreign Minister (Seyyid Tewfik Swaidi) brought to London a plan for a settlement in Palestine, aiming at co-operation between the Jews and the Arabs in creating a British-controlled State similar to Iraq. The details of the plan include: (1) The administration to be gradually transferred from Britain to Palestine as an independent State. (2) All Palestinians to be guaranteed political and civil rights regardless of race or creed. (3) All communities to have equal rights. (4) Full municipal powers to be granted to Arab and Jewish towns and villages. (5) The number of Jewish residents not to be increased. ' a (6) Legitimate British interests to be safeguarded. (7) Britain to guarantee all granted rights. -' British infantry rounded up rebels and air craft bombed and machine-gunned them whenever they broke cover, says a message from Jerusalem. The British United Press correspondent at Jerusalem has reported that 80 rebels thus far have been killed, largely by the action of British aircraft, in one of the biggest engagements throughout the disturbances. The British are engaging the gang which is believed to have been responsible for the massacre at Tiberias on Monday; the Arabs were encountered in the vicinity of the Sea of Galilee. A military patrol encountered an armed band on Mount Tabor and killed 12. Rebels burned down a military grocery depot at Lydda and raided the district office in Jerusalem and burned Government files. In the House of Commons the Secretary for the Colonies (Mr Malcolm MacDonald) said there had been a serious deterioration in Palestine and as a result of this the High Commissioner (Sir Harold Mac Michael) was arriving today for consultation. Extra precautions, said Mr MacDonald, included the despatch from Britain of two cavalry battalions and ■ one battalion of infantry; also, three battalions from India were due during the next few weeks. Hundreds of exservicemen were augmenting the police. ARABS VIRTUALLY IN CONTROL? “BRITISH PRESTIGE AT VERY LOW EBB” (Received October 7, 1.45 a.m.) LONDON, October 6. The seriousness of the situation in Palestine is disclosed by the Cairo correspondent of The Daily Mail, who has returned from areas under a most rigid Press censorship. The correspondent declares that Palestine is in a state of revolt and that British prestige is at a very low ebb. The whole countryside is almost completely in the hands of the rebels, who have their own courts and give orders that no Arab dares to disobey under a penalty of death. Scarcely any road'is safe. Foreign nationals carry their passports, and if these passports are British they would be sure to become tickets to heaven. The air base at Ramleh is a danger spot. The correspondent adds that it was actually the rebels who imposed the curfew at Haifa by forbidding Arabs to go out after 7 p.m. Thus anyone walking in the streets after that time would be British or Jewish, and liable to attack. The Government was therefore forced to proclaim the-curfew.