“SHOCKED TO ITS FOUNDATIONS.”

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXV, Issue 18355, 28 August 1929, Page 9

“SHOCKED TO ITS FOUNDATIONS.”

Arab Revolt In Palestine. SAVAGE ATTACKS ON JEWS. (United Press Association—By Electric T-letrraph -Copyright.) (Received August 27, 7 p.m.) LONDON, August 27. The “Daily Express” special correspondent at Jerusalem states that the Holy Land is shocked to its foundations by the outrages. Business is at a standstill. Shops are closed, telephones are not working, and the press is censored. It is officially admitted that 80 to 100 were killed, and the hospitals are filled with wounded. The bloodiest tragedy occurred at Hebron, where seventy-three Jews were slaughtered in their homes, twelve of whom were American students, qualifying for the Rabbinate. They were eating their Sabbath meal when a mob of armed tribesmen descended on the village. Men, women, and children were cut to pieces. Eighteen were killed in a single home, including Mr Slonin (manager of the Anglo-Palestine Bank), his wife, two children, and his parents-in-law. The policing of Jerusalem is now in the hands of a volunteer force of 600 British citizens, who are patrolling the streets day and night. All persons are required to be in their homes after the curfew at six in the evening. The situation, with the appearance of the British khaki and British bayonets, however, became easier. Evidences of Moslem Fury. “Sporadic outbreaks continue over a wide area. The Jews in Jerusaem are afraid to appear in the open. Hundreds are hiding for fear of their lives. The hotels and public institutes are packed with refugees. “There are harrowing stories of the murder of relatives in the foulest circumstances. Whole villages have been pillaged, the contents of the dwellings dumped in the streets and burned. “A poignant story is told by a thirteen-year-old Jewish girl, who was seized by a band of frenzied Arabs, but was recovered after a desperate struggle by her father. No sooner was she released than she was compelled to see her father stabbed to death. “A grim aftermath of the rioting was the carrying of Jewish and Arab dead to secret places of burial. Jerusalem to-night is indeed a city of the dead. Mutilation of Victims. The special correspondent of the Northern and American Newspaper Alliance states that the reason why the massacre at Hebron was not completed was that the Arabs desired to make sure that they killed those they attacked. They were not content with cutting off ears and noses and mutilating the bodies, but they stopped to pillage every house, consequently many Jewish houses escaped entirely. At least twenty-five Americans were among those attacked. The survivors declare that fifteen boys were killed and some were horribly mutilated. Massacre of Jews Prevented. An eye-witness of the Jerusalem disturbances says the credit for preventing a general bloody outbreak throughout the whole of the Arab world is largely due to the Moslem authorities of Jerusalem, working all day long and at night to discourage Mohammedan fury. The Grand Mufti Husseini toured the walls of the Holy City, imploring the Arabs to be quiet, but was greeted with hostile shouts of “You are sold to the British and Jews.” He is the national hero of Palestine, and TransJordania, and is therefore able to speak for peace. He even forbade a call to prayer on Friday night, and only the Christian bells were heard in terrified Jerusalem, where there are 2000 Americans. In Palestine practically all the Jews are more or less in danger. The eye-witness, emphasising the fearful responsibility resting on the Zionist Fascisti, says comparatively few real Jews appeared at the Wall, which was crowded. The brawny young Fascisti from the Colonies, were anxious to fight, and they jostled every Moslem or Christian suspected of mocking. BRITISH TROOPS PATROL STREETS. CRISIS BELIEVED PASSED. (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) LONDON, August 26. The British United Press correspondent at Jerusalem reports that the Government has invited the sheiks to a conference to find a means of ending the grave conflict. There are many startling rumours, including one that British aeroplanes are bombing Lefta, where Arab fanatics are taking refuge. There is also a story that Arabs are attacking Kelandia, Jerusalem’s northern suburb. The crisis, however, is believed to be past now, and British troops are patrolling the streets. CASUALTIES ON BOTH SIDES. BATTALIONS FROM EGYPT. CAIRO, August 26. The official strength of the British troops in Palestine sent from Egypt by to-morrow will be approximately two battalions, including armoured car detachments, sappers, and signallers. News from Palestine is meagre, though the casualties hitherto reported on both sides are greater than the dispatches from Jerusalem indicate. It is reported that prices are rising to famine level in Jerusalem. The dead include a brilliant young architect, Mr Raitan, designer of some of the finest buildings in the city. Three Rabbis and four American students also were killed.

COLONIAL OFFICE REVIEW. SITUATION GENERALLY REPORTED QUIETER. (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, August 26. In the absence of the High Commissioner for Palestine, Sir John Chancellor, who is on his way back to Palestine from England, the situation was reviewed in the Colonial Office, which last night made the following announcement: “The Acting-High Commissioner for Palestine issued a communique on Saturday to the effect that disturbances had broken out in Jerusalem during the past twentyfour hours and in other parts of Palestine resulting in the destruction of life and property. The Government in Palestine was taking all necessary measures to restore order and was carrying out its duty of protecting the life and property of all inhabitants without distinction and would continue to do so until order was completely restored. The ActingHigh Commissioner added that the Government in Palestine was always prepared to receive deputations to represent the views and demands of the different communities, but that restoration of law and order was the first essential.

“The Acting-High Commissioner reports various attacks during Friday night. On the morning of August 24 two companies of the Transjordan Frontier Police arrived at Allenby Bridge and Jisr-el-Majamie respectively, with the object of preventing the possibility of Transjordan Arabs coming to Jerusalem, and second to guard the Rutenberg works and to keep order in 3esian and in Jezreel Valley. “At Nabluson the same morning a crowd attempted to invade the police barracks, with the result that the police opened fire and there were eight casualties.

“There was a demonstration at Jaffa but latest reports from- Jaffa and Telaviv indicate that those places, while restless, are not disorderly. All is quiet at Haifa. “It is regretted that Mr Best, Inspector of the Immigration and Travels Section, was killed by rifle fire while on patrol as a special constable. “The Acting-High Commissioner states, that the casualties in the recent disturbance at Jerusalem are at present unknown.” The Colonial Office issues the following statement summarising the position in Palestine on the information available as it was on Sunday morning. The Acting-High Commissioner stated that the old part of Jerusalem was then quiet, but there was still some desultory firing and incendiarism in the new quarters. The situation in the Jewish outlying quarters and suburbs of Jerusalem was not under control and there was still some looting, with casualties. The Jewish “garden city” of Talpioth, near the railway station, had been temporarilly evacuated by its inhabitants. At Hebron on Saturday there was an attack by an Arab mob on the small Jewish quarters. Up to the present the known casualties include 45 Jews, while 59 Jews were seriously wounded. The Moslem casualties were eight killed and ten wounded.

Four hundred and fifty Jews have been temporarily accommodated in the police barracks, and the town is now reported to be quiet. In Jaffa the situation at eight o’clock on Sunday morning caused some alarm in view of a possible demonstration and the risk of a clash at Telaviv. The district authorities, however, succeeded in averting a demonstration. The Acting-High Commissioner felt, no doubt, that the arrival of the British warship Sussex at Jaffa early on Monday morning would ease the situation. Nablus remained uneasy, but an outbreak had so far been averted. Safad was very uneasy. There were no reports of attacks on Jewish colonies in the north. Gaza and Beersheba were quiet, but restive. The Colonial Office adds that the Acting-High Commissioner issued the following proclamation on Sunday: “I give notice to the public of Palestine that his Majesty’s forces are operating in the country with the sole object of quelling the present disturbances and promptly restoring order. Exceptional measures of repression will be avoided as much as possible, but the troops will not hesitate to use force against all disturbers of the peace, without distinction.” REPELLING ARAB ATTACKS. WIDESPREAD REVOLT INDICATED (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) (Received August 27, 5.5 p.m.) JERUSALEM, August 27. The first official statistics supplied by the Palestine Government show that 45 Jews and eight Moslems were killed at Hebron, where order is now established. Two Arabs were seriously wounded in the course of an unsuccessful attack on the police barracks at Noblue. Since the arrival of British police, and the trans-Jordan frontier force, at Safed, tension between the Arabs and Jews has diminished. An unconfirmed report indicates that the Arabs attacked a troop train at Haifa, and are disarming some of the British soldiers.

A crowd of Moslems suddenly attacked the Government offices at Jaffa, whereupon the Briti h police fired, repelling the attack, killing five Arabs and wounding more than thirty. Arabs are now fiercely attacking Telaviv. The South Wales Borderers engaged them at Jaffa directly they landed. Migration Officer Best was mortally wounded in a gallant attempt to rescue an Oxford undergraduate, who was wounded while patrolling as a special constable at the Jewish suburb of Givatshoul. Arabs were raking the street with rifle fire, and Best dashed out to cover the wounded student, but was himself shot through the chest.