THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT

Hokitika Guardian, 11 March 1922, Page 2

THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT

IUSTItAUIAN AND N.Z. CAULK ASSOCIATE"’ CHURCHILL’S STATEMENT. London. March 9. Mr Churchill in the House of Commons, reviewing the conditions fn Mesopotamia, aid lie had beeli able to reduce tile garrison from 23 battalions to six, and lie hoped, eventually to four. This is possible owing to the air power, of which there are eight squadrons now in the country. The only considerable body of Imperial troops there is stationed near Mosul, to guard against possible Turkish hostile movements'. Mr Churchill added : “Thanks to the new air mail, the distance between London and Bagdad, is reduced from six weeks to a fortnight. The distance has actually been covered in seven days. Mesopotamia has had a peaceful year, thanks to the establishment of the Independent Arab State under the Feosul.”

IK PALESTINE. Mr Churchill emphasised the difficulty existing in Palestine. He said ! that because Britain had openly pledged herself to the Zionists, the Arab's ! who are in the majority in Palestine, ■ are unsympathetic to that movement, j Nine thousand carefully selected Jewish settlers had been admitted and had introduced wealth and industry. The. co=ts of administration will he reduced from £8,000,000 for the current I yca,r bo £4,000,000 next year, and ! thereafter to £2,000,000.

TROUBLE PREDICTED

Mr Asquith predicted that trouble is inevitable with the Kurds and possibly with the Turks. He stressed that a real lasting treaty with Turkey was necessary to the security of Mesopotamia. He would never be a party to any policy which would result in the ref establishment \of the Turkish rule over a Christian population.