IN PALESTINE

Hokitika Guardian, 30 August 1929, Page 5

IN PALESTINE

JEWISH VOLUNTEERS.

(United Press Aeeociation—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright). OTTAWA, August 27. An offer of one thousand volunteers for immediate service in Palestine lias been cabled' to Mr MacDonald by Jewish.citizens of Toronto. AUCKLAND REPRESENTATIONS. ' ' AUCKLAND, August 28. 4 On behalf of the "iTewisti "community in Auckland, the President of the Auckland Hebrew conregatiori,., Mr N. A. Nathan, : lias requested the Prime Minister, Sir Joseph Ward, to cable the British Government the deep concern Ifelt in New Zealand regarding the position: iq. Palestine, and,, expressing confidence jthat adequate, measures, will be taken to deal with the situation.

,/ BRITISH FORCES

DECIMATE ARABS

' l' LONDON, August 29.' y The, .".Daily Expresscorrespondent at Jerusalem states,:

British troops were in action for the first time, at, Subaiyah, a, .few miles from Bethlahem, on tlie peak of the hills dominating Jerusalem from the gateway to Trans-Jordinia. , . Two companies of the King’s Regiments and. a squadron of Bristol aeroplanes, and also armoured cars, were detailed to encircle the village o c Subaiyah, and to capture the band of Arab gunmen. They seized many Arabs, in their beds, and also seized loot that was taken in regent raids. Hundreds of -'other Arabs fled as tlie troops nppronehted. These were intercepted by. machine-gun fire, from lowlying, aeroplanes. Tlie -correspondent adds:—"The plains were strewn with dead when I visited the -area. > It is impossible to exaggerate the vandalism df the Arabs in plundering the houses of wealthy Jews,'pianos being battered to. pieces, pictures slashed, and everything breakable smashed to smithereens.

" All the Jewish burials are carried out secretly, the. bodies being taken to the '• Mount of Olives at • night, . under the escort of armoured cars."

CHRISTIANS JOIN MOSLEMS. LONDON, August 29. Cairo telegrams state that Syrian demonstrations are increasing at Nablus, at Sidon and elsewhere. xen thousand Christians and Moslems, headed by the clergy and carrying crosses and Moslem banners, matched in .the streets of Beyrout. crying, " Palestine for the Arabs 1" A detachment of cavalry accompanied

them as,to. .prevent', .breaches of

peace*?; y ' -■/ -••/ -• V. ( * Former Turkish officers' have formed d force of six hundred men’.at Nablus, •with the avowed object of surrounding 1 Jerusalem:.

News Ifrom Damascus states that,the

Deaf Pasha, the leader of the Druses, -y intends to march on Jerusalem in order to protect the Mosque of Omar. • Cairo reports state forces of Bedouins made a terrific onslaught on Jews at Tiberius, Nablus'and Safed. ,: ’"

PALESTINE ADMINISTRATION. SOME CHANGES COMING. (Received this day nt 8 a.m.) • - • LONDON, August 29. At a meeting cdf the Zionist Federation, -Weismann, who was detailed to interview. Lord Passfield, wherefrom he was able to announce there would be changes in , the Palestine administra tion, which . permitted the riots, also that Britain would more rigorously observe the Balfour promise to Jewish national. Some Lord Passfield recognised in principle and justice as a demand for compensation for loss of Jewish life and property. . TRAVELLER’S REPORT,

A GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION. (Received this day at 8 a.m.) . , , CAIRO, August 29. A traveller from Palestine gives a graphic description of the rioting and describes how, a Cornishman named Carafata, coinmandini thirty Hebron police, quelled a force of several thousand villagers who looted Jewish house* and murdered the inmates, including many children and infants. • ■ Carafata then collected the survivors of the' .Jews and escorted them to tlu police' station. • In another case, six British police dispersed three hundred rioting. Arabs. During a brawl, an Arab made a swoid thrust at a Britisher, who ducked in the nick of time. He then shot his aggressor.- < . The mobs savagery was exemplified by numerous bodies hanging out of a window; • badly cut .and knocked. An investigation showed deaths were the result of knives.

AGREEMENT REACHED y •' BY FIVE POWERS THE TERMS OF SETTLEMENT. > (Received this dnv at 9.25 a.m.) THE HAGUE. August 29. It is announced that the five Powers have reached an agreement with Germany and the three Rhineland powers have reached an agreement on political questions entailing the beginning of the evacuation in September and completing the withdrawal of Anglo-Bel-gian troops in three months. France will simultaneously be evacuating the

second zone. Tlie third zone will be evacuated after the ratification by Franco-German Parliaments and implementation of the Young plan, after which the' withdrawal will proceed as rapidly as possible, and be completed not later than the end of June, 1930. This agreement depends on its financial settlement by Germany. The Financial Settlement includes the cancellation of the right of reexport of deliveries in kind. Germany will reduce the export of reparations coal to Italy in the first year, by one and a-half million tons. Britain will thus benefit t> the extent of a million tons annually.

UNDER MILITARY CONTROL. LONDON, Aug. 29. A Beirsit message states the British authorities have closed ail reads in Palestine between the towns and villages. The whole of Palestine is now under iren military control. Aeroplanes fired on the rebels village of Soubakil from where looting was carried out. Trcqus later captured fifty villagers during a bayonet charge.

PRESENT POSITION

DANGER OF OUTBREAKS OVER

" ’ REPORT OF ACTION TAKEN.

(British Official Wireless.)

RUGBY, August 29.

Despatches from Jerusalem indicate •that tlie situation in Palestine is now ! well in hand. Outbreaks on large scale are no longer feared and th 9 presence of sufficient forces has so strengthened the power of the Government that it should- be well able to deal with local incidents.

Sir John Chancellor, High Commissioner for, Palestine and Trans-Jordan arrived at Port Said yesterday and is to-day due to reach Jerusalem from England, where lie had been on leave.

The Colonial Office states that as regards the general situation it is reported that yesterday and last night were quiet practically throughout Palestine; and that the presence of troops has produced a steadying effect on the rioters. Large-scale disorders now appear to have- been quelled and unless the conditions should be changed by circumstances not at present foreseen, the grave situation of the previous five days may he regarded as under control.

About midday on 27tli August, an excited crowd of Moslems assembled in Ha-r&m area in Jerusalem and demanded arms from the Grand Mufti. An immediate menace was avoided by the officer administering the Government receiving a deputation and giving them a formal assurance that the Government had not armed Jews.

In consequence of these assurances, the situation in Jerusalem on the morning of 28th August was much 'easier.

The following are the total casualties' up to'2Bth August: ' Killed or died of wounds: ’Moslems 52. Christians 4, Jews 96. '

Wounded in hospital: Moslems 103, Christians 9, Jews 151. Press telegraphs from Jerusalem state that rumours are circulating of incipient movements at Tiberias on the Sea of Calillee, at Gaza, and in TransJordania, but 1 troops continue to arrive and confidence is felt that every movement can now be cheeked.

Although for, the present, 'the Brifish Government is concentrating on an effort to secure order in Palestine at the earliest possible moment, it is lenrnrtl that-a full investigation of the condition of the •country is likely to he undertaken immediately order is restored .

A full meeting of Cabinet cannot be held until the Prime Minister returns <Vom Geneva. Meanwhile all the available information is be ; ng collected and experts on the subject are being consulted.