PALESTINE MANDATE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 73, Issue 428, 20 November 1930, Page 7

PALESTINE MANDATE

GOVERNMENT ATTITUDE LARGE IRRIGATION WORKS BRITISH-GUARANTEED LOAN [ British Official Wireless. ] RUGBY, Nov. 17. When the Government’s Palestine policy was discussed in the House of Commons to-night, Dir. Drummond Shields (Colonial Under-Secretary) cm phasised that the Government had re peatedly affirmed the intention of carrying out the full mandate, and ii stood by that.

Regarding the projected scheme, Dr. Shields said it was necessary to provide for an expenditure not exceeding £2,500,000, a large part of which would be devoted to productive work, such as irrigation, drainage, and other schemes designed to increase the general productivity of the country. The scheme would provide for settlement on the land of about 10,000 families. In view of the present financial situation in Palestine, the only way such a sum could be provided was by loan, under guarantee of the British Government. After Christmas a Bill offering the necessary guarantee would be introduced.

The scheme was intended in the first place, the Minister said, to provide for those landless Arabs who could be shown to have been dispossessed as a result of their land passing into Jewish hands, and any balance would be available for both Jewish and Arab settlement. The scheme surely was a proof that the Government was not only attending to the needs of landless Arabs, but making possible further opportunities for Jewish land settlement.

The Minister’s statement was a reply to Mr Lloyd George, who drew attention to the recent Palestine M hitc Paper, which he alleged was unjust to Jews and Arabs.