PALESTINE

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XX, Issue 259, 21 October 1930, Page 5

PALESTINE

STATEMENT OF BRITISH POLICY GRANT OF MEASURE OF SELFGOVERNMENT. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TO BE SET VP. [British Official Wlrsleaa.l (Received 21, U.BO pm.) Rugby, Oct. 20. A White Fagar issued contains an important statement of British policy drafted after oaroful consideration of the report of Sir John Hope Simpson, special investigator upon land settlement, Immigration and development, sent to Palestine by the British Government.

Sir John * report, issued sunultaneomiy with the Government slate* meat, lays repeated emphasis on the fact that no policy, however enlightened or however vigorously prosecuted, can succeed unless supported not merely by acceptance but by the willing co-operation of the communities for whose benefit it is designed. The Government makes it clear that “they will not be moved by any pressure or threats from the path laid down in the mandate and from pursuit of their policy, which aims at promoting the interests of the inhabitants of Palestine, both Arabs and Jews, in a manner which shall be consistent with the obligations which the mandate imposes. 1 ’ As it is the primary duty of the administration to ensure peace, incitement to disorder or disaffection, in whatever quarter they may originate, will bo severely punished and the power of the administration will, so far as may be necessary, be enlarged to enable it to deal more effectively with any such dangerous and unwarrantable attempts. The Government will retain for the present two battalions of infantry in Palestine and, in addition, two squadrons of aircraft and four sections of armoured cars will be available in Palestine and Trans-Jordania. The Government has decided that the timo has arrived for a further stop in the direction of a grant to the people of Palestine of a measure of self-government compatible with the terms of the mandate. They accordingly intend to set up a Legislative Council generally on the lines sugICBSted by Mr. Winston Churchill in June, 1922, and trust that on this occasion they will secure the cooperation of all sections of the population. While they would deeply regret any attempt on the part of any section of the population to prevent thorn* from giving effect to their de* rision, all possible steps will be taken to circumvent such an attempt, if made, since they consider it in the interests of the population of the country as a whole that the further step now proposed should no longer be deferred. .