1938-12-09 — Page 12

House Of Lords

THE CHINA MAIL, DECEMBER 9, 1938

Critics Of Britain's Palestine Policy

But Mr. MacDonald Is Held Not To Blame

Lord Samuel's Objective Study Of Situation

London, To-day.

Lord Snell, speaking in the House of Lords debate yesterday, vigorously attacked the Govern- ment's policy on Palestine.

not govern Palestine for ever with troops. Therefore the Government had decided to call a conference and had received accéptances from the Palestinian

LEAGUE'S

Arabs, Egypt-Saudi ANTI-EPIDEMIC

Arabia, Trans-Jordan and the Jewish agency, while they had also sent an invitation to the King of Yemen.

WORK IN CHINA

London, To-day.

Lord Dufferin said it was cer- tainly difficult owing to the lack of

The necessary credit will be in- any authoritative body in Pa'estine to explain how it was possible to cluded in the League of Nations settle a dispute of this nature, but

1939 Budget for maintenance of the in the Middle East things were

anti-epidemic work in He declared that English colonial history provided done in a quiet and friendly man- present

no parallel to the record of aimless vacillationer. They would-be-quieter-still-if China-and-continuance-of-the-nor-- it were possible to get a responsible mal technical collaboration in ac- and contradictory devices in Palestine.

Palestinian delegation.

cordance with the scheme It was not the intention of the Lord Snell did not blame Mr. Malcolm Macdonald,

Government to start the proceed- Chinese Government submitted the Dominions and Colonial Secretary, who had close knowledge of the problem and keen sym- pathy with the races involved.

end

the

to

ings as a Round Table Conference, the Assembly in September, which a'though they hoped it would was then accepted in principle. as such. In the discussion the Mr. R. A. Butler, Under-Secre- He advocated firstly restoration, full sympathy with the Arabs, but Government would be bound by the tary for Foreign Affairs, announ- of order, and secondly the Govern-"at the present time our sympathy Balfour Declaration and the Man-ced this in reply to a question by date. If it happened that an agree- Mr. R. H. Morgan (Conservative, ment should make it understood with the Jews must be stronger.

-ment-was-reached which would Stourbridge). that the Balfour Declaration would It must be most profound."-Reu-

of not be withdrawn.

ter.

necessitate alternative terms

Mr. Morgan urged joint action by mandate they would not hesitate to the powers to alleviate the misery do so.

and sufferings of Chinese civilian refugees.-Reuter.

Lord Samuel pointed out that it

Lord Harlech said his view was would was the first debate on Palestine that the Jewish settlement

PROPER STEPS in the House of Lord since July, grow very slowly but on sure

foundations. To bring such a policy Similarly, should an 1937.

agreement The recommendation of partition, to fruition there must be friendly not be reached and a settlement had

bad. he said, was

All partition cooperation, and the growth must proposals ought to be discredited not be too fast. at the outset.

them.

Most important fact was

The tragedy of the policy of the Jewish National Home in Palestine was that it had been made a refuge because of Jewish representations.

EMIGRATION

to be imposed equally, they wou'd KING MEETS

ho'd themselves free to take pro- per steps for making a similar al- teration.

PROMINENT

LABOUR LEADERS

On the question of federation they strongly felt this was a mat- ter for the Arabs themselves, and the Government were not prepared to give them any advice or decision

London, To-day. Also the Govern- The King attended a dinner on the matter. ment did not intend to move in the Lord Baldwin's London residence matter of immigration during the last night and met some of the lead- last six months period.

ing members of the Opposition.

at

ac-

ZIONISTS REMOTE The strength of the Zionist move- ment was derived mainly from the masses of Jews in Poland, Ru- mania and the United States, re- Emigration into Palestine had mote from the scene and without grown from 11.000 per year to an intimate knowledge of the circum- inrush of from 69 to 70 thousand stances in Palestine.

annually, and he was convinced the They had not seen the obstacles, only hope of success for the Round it and were impatient when anyone] Table Conference was to make said the obstacles were real and perfectly clear that the British ad- The Under Secretary for Colonies The dinner was arranged private- suggested means of overcoming ministration would go on in Pales- concluded that the hoped the con-ly by Lord Baldwin in order that

tina.

fercnce would restore confidence to His Majesty might meet Opposition

If the con- Members of Parliament whose The Marquis of Lothian suggest-both Arab and Jew. that the Arab national movement existed that introduction of the federal ference failed it would not be from quaintance he has hitherto not been ed and was a reality.

principle might go far to solve the lack of faith and goodwill on the able to make.-Reuter. problem, and that a great deal would part of the government.-British depend on getting a measure of Wireless. agreem between Arabs and Jews. There should be no relaxation of the "As High Commissioner I

British Government's efforts was responsible for the Mufti of Jerusa-m maintain law and order against the

over a period of one year, say for lem's appointment, and looking campaign of terrorism.

London, To-day. Replying for the back, I have no doubt that the ap-

Govern- ty per cent. of the Jewish and 60

Vice-Admiral Geoffrey Laytone ment, Lord pointment was right.

Dufferin and Ava per cent. of the Arab population.

Government should arrange a loan has been appointed Vice-Admiral there was any "I never knew the Mufti refuse denied that his co-operation in maintaining law truth in the charge that Ministers to promote closer settlement of un-commanding the First Battle Squa- and order, and I feel that if the had rushed with undue haste into developed country and a Legislative

Council might be created. Mufti was not there to give accepting the policy of partition.

Lord Harlech suggested that Gov- else

and leadership, someone

would The Government had to act, have been."

they believed both sides would have ernment consider the possibilities accepted that solution.

of a loose federal organisation as The Gov- ernment was right in believing that.

ARAB ATTITUDE

"I do not believe that brutal crimes are characteristic of the Arab people.

WORLD PROBLEM The Archbishop of Canterbury welcomed the proposal for a con- ference but regretted it had not taken place earlier.

"This is not a mere Palestinian problem with which we are con- fronted, affecting

400,000 some Jews or 900,000 Arabs. It is even more. It is a world problem of un- usual magnitude and urgency..

"It is plain that one of the main subjects which must be dealt with at this conference is that of Jew- ish immigration.

WAY OUT

to

3

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL Lord Samuel suggested that Jew-

MEDITERRANEAN

ish immigration should not exceed FLEET COMMAND

dron and second-in-command of the Mediterranean Fleet.

The appointment dates from Jan- uary next year.-Reuter.

offering prospects of an agreed so- moderate and extreme opinions.

lution.

Lord Dufferin and Ava made it However, many factors served

Lord Reading expressed optimism plain that it was not intended to to destroy that effort, and the Arabs with regard to prospects of the have a round table conference in were concerted against the policy conference in view of the existence the first place although Govern- of partition. If there had been of a representative moderate party ment hoped the discussions would desire to work the scheme it would among the Arabs.. have succeeded but as there was no desire to work it, it was too far.

The Government therefore had to try to discover some other way out of the difficulty.

end as such. of Dufferin and The Marquis

The first method of approach Ava, replying to the debate, said would be seperate delegations in- that Government did not intend to terviewing the Government seper- go to the conference or present the ately.

delegates with any definite set or He said Government would en-

It was true the Arab campaign play. They believed that every ter the discussions bound by the of violence still continued, but there subject should be open to diɛcus obligations of the Balfour Declar- had been a great diminuation of sion and thought that only harm ation and the mandate and that "If there is to be any success outrages since the reinforcement, would be done if Government at they would not hesitate to take the for the conference each of the par- of forces, and great progress had tempted to confine speeches or the proper steps to obtain an altera- ties must abate some of their ex-been made in restoring authority suggestions of the delegates into tion. treme claims.

in those areas which had fallen any one channel,, however, wide it Similarly, if an agreement was "But we must regard this ques-into the hands of Arab gangs.

reached and a settlement' would tion of immigration as for the

NOT FOR EVER

BOUND BY DECLARATION have to be imposed, they would That policy would continus until

He emphasised that they wanted equally hold themselves free by other means appeasement was the Arab delegation to be as re-take the appropriate steps of mak- Nono of them were wanting in reached in Palestine. They could presentative as possible of both]ing a similar alteration.-Reuter.

present sub 'judice."

JEWISH SYMPATHIES

was.

to