1939-05-23 — Page 12

PALESTINE A OF BRITISH

Colonial Secretary Opens Commons Policy Debate

London, To-day. Initiating the promised debate on the Government's Palestine policy in the House of Commons yes- terday, the Colonies Secretary, Mr. Malcolm Macdonald, said the Government wished it was possible to present its policy under different circumstances.

When the House last debated Palestine, it was hoped that in spite of the bitter years of strife, there was still a possibility of some under- standing between Arabs and Jews regarding the future, but that hope was dashed, and so the Government had come out with its own policy.

THE CHINA MAIL, MAY 23, 1989.

MATTER HONOUR

ed a certain part in the war. took certain risks for the cause.,

Eached with favour upon-the return of Allied the Jews to Palestine and that the Government was determined that MATTER OF HONOUR no obstacle should be placed in the This question then was a matter way of this return, but that this of honour. The good name of would only be allowed so far as was and Great Britain was involved. The compatible with the economic obligations contracted towards the political freedom of the existing po- Jews and Arabs during the War pulation. were debts of honour which could

days the

CONSISTENCY CLAIM not be paid in counterfeit coinage. It added that the British Gov- In some quarters in the last fewernment was determined that no Government had been people in Palestine should be sub- charged with breaking its promises.ject to another. This was the same The Government confidently

re-Government in which Lord Balfour pudiated that.

was still Foreign Secretary and, therefore, there could have been no

Mr. Macdonald dealt sympatheti cally with the Jewish claims and misunderstanding. then turned to the Arab case, and

Surely, declared Mr. MacDonald, these assurances meant that a declared:

"No doubt physically we could Jewish national home in Palestine force on the Arabs in Palestine any did not mean a Jewish state kind of Jewish national home, but against the

wishes of the Arab we could not do that moral justification.

with

any We must keep our promises to the Jews but we must also keep faith with the Arab

This presented a most grave head and heart-world.”

searching problem.

was

when earth,

BORN IN TUMULT The situation in Palestine born in the tumult of war

the the great nations of engaged in a deadly struggle, were searching around for friends

Of course, there were arguments | to perform. to be presented against the policy. It was the Royal Commission which visited Palestine in 1937 which said the conflict which had arisen there between Jews and Arabs was not a conflict between right and wrong but a conflict between right and allies.. right.

+

and

population.

Mr. MacDonald claimed that the Government was acting absolutely consistently with the war pledges made to the Jews and the Arabs. INDEFINITE EXPRESSION

Referring to immigration, with Referring to the promise made regard to which, Mr. MacDonald was also to the Jewish people, Mr. MacDon-said, the Government ald mentioned the Balfour Promise charged with a breach of its pro- of 1917, which declared that "the mise, the Colonial Secretary said Government will use their utmost that it was true that in 1922 the endeavours to see established a na- Government said that immigra- tional home for the Jewish people tion should not exceed the in Palestine." .

economic absorptive capacity of It had sometimes been suggested, the country, but the Government There were two people interested That was true. To come to judg-from the point of view of a settle-added Mr. MacDonald, that the pro- could not accept these declarations mise meant definitely that Pales-as meaning that they were bound circum- ment between the claims of the ment in Palestine-the Arabs and

tine should become a Jewish State. for all time and in all two parties in those circumstances, Jews.

that strict to maintain Certainly, the possibility of Jew-stances the

ish State was not excluded. It principle without qualification. was far from excluded, because

DIFFICULT WORK Under that principle, the Jewish from 80,000 in population grew 1922 to 450,000 to-day.

Summing up, Mr. MacDonald said that it would be contrary to the mandate if Britain did not be- PICTURESQUE PHRASE

gin to work now 'towards a self- They recognised that a Jewish governing institution in Palestine. settlement in Palestine on a great When it came to a constitution, scale was an experiment the ex- the framing work would rival that tent whereof must depend upon cer- of the framers of the Indian Con- tain incalculable factors. So they stitution, but because it was diffi- deliberately chose the phrase "Na-cult they must not abandon it. tional Home", which could mean a j The whole spirit of these ar- Jewish State in Palestine but which rangements was that the interests also might mean something

of the minority and the majority in Palestine should be adequately se- be At the time when the Balfour De-cured and that they should claration was made, it was said satisfied that they were adequately that the declarations were for the secured before completely surren- purpose of giving a people who had dering mandatory control to the

country.. no country a country that had no people.

and to find a firm line of justice Largely on the strength of between them, was indeed as diffi- promise made to them by His Ma- cult a task as the House ever hadjesty's Government, each had play- Mr. Lloyd George, who was Pre-

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mier in 1917 assured us of that.

Nevertheless, the authors of the Balfour Declaration and mandate did say.."Jewish State"; they used the more indefinite expression.

much less.

very

Britain would be satisfied that

Mr. MacDonald wished the in a treaty with Palestine there

it

phrase had been as true as

should be provision for maintain- was picturesque. He

wished ing military and air forces suffi- cient to secure our interests, the Palestine was an empty land; Во that its

use of military facilities such as bounds were the only limits set to the remarkable ports and aerodromes, appropriate consultaton in military matters creative work of a devoted people. who were building their national and mutual assistance in case of

trouble. -Reuter. home.

SHOCK TO ARABS

But Palestine was not empty. In 1918, there was a population of 600,000 Arabs whose ancestors had been in undisturbed occupation for countless generations..

In specifying promises made to the Arabs, Mr. MacDonald declared that he was not referring to the MacMahon Correspondence, but to later promises.

When the Balfour Declaration was made, he said, it came as a shock to the Arab world, so the British Government sent a messenger to Jeddah to explain to Sheriff Hussein

Government look fuer

ONALD EDDY WEETHEARTS