Evening star., 1919-08-17

pies of the near east
THE Arab question had its hour at
the peace conference. The opponents
OF Zionism, the advocates of an in
tegral Syria, the advocates Of an
American protectorate over Turkey,
all capitalized the Arab question.
Paris heard from the lips of the
Turkish Representatives the threat
OF an ,anti-Zionist war which this
writer says. 'conceivably may bring
down Egypt Mesopotamia, Persia,
Aighanistan and India and involve
tne world In new chaos It de-
serves as little consideration now az
1t received from the allied council.
Ihe opponents to Zionism in Paris
were effectually silenced by Prince
Feisal, crown prince of the Arab
kingdom Of the Hedjaz, in a letter
to Felix Frankfurter. former United
States assistant secretary of war,
chairman Of the United States War
Labor Policies Board. who was in Paris
IN the interest Of THE Zionist movement
- "A syria which includes Palestine 10
diplomatic fiction. There has never
been Syrian nation or state includ-
ing Palestine. From time to time
ooth Palestine and Syria have been
included in the same empire-in the
ancient world. the empire of the Eu-
pirates or the empire of the Nile: in
the classical world. Rome; in our
own time, Turkey. But there never
was Syrian state nor a Syrian na.
tion which ruled over Palestine.
Palestine throughout Jewish his
tory. unlike Syria, fought against
alien rule and established it's own in
dependence and vindicated it's own
r1ght as an entity. Geographically
and economically nature has given
Palestine all the characteristics of a
separate land. The only thing which
Palestine and Syria have in common.
and this they have, in common only
since the days of Islam. is that the
Vernacular OF the majority of the peo-
pie both in Palestine and Syria is
Arabic.
But the common vernacular does
not make an integral Syria or Syrian
nation. Under the Turks all the peo-
PIE were organized in Syria and Pales-
s-.Ss, AAVS NSSOA0AuS 70 IHclr tongue.
but according to their church. The
church was the foundation of the
millet. The vernacular was NOT ard
Is not today the badge Of a nation in
syria or in Palestine. If it were we
should have not an integral Syria
state embracing Egypt, north Africa,
arabia and Mesopotamia, as well as
Palestine and Syria. Integral SYRIA
Is simply diplomatic fiction invented
by some diplomats and by little bands
of agitators.
tain elements are very much disturbed
over the prospects of a large Jewish
settlement in Palestine. But it would
be interesting to learn on what the
statement is based that there is a
unified opposition there to the Zion
who spent eight months in the coun-
try as administrator for the Ameri-
can Zionist medical unit, says in his
report:
The only newspapers in Palestine
are government publications. and,
not be accepted as guides to public
opinion. AS far as the native popu-
lation Is concerned, they are of still
less value. because of the small per-
centage able to read. The only means
try. except by the Official newspaper,
is by word Of mouth. l can recall
two instances illustrating how far
the native is dependent upon this
method. A few days after Gen. AL
lenby's advance had started heard
the town crier announcing in the
streets Of Jaffa that Haifa had been
taken, and later q similar announce
ment was made Of the taking Of
Damascus. The town crier is a hold.
over from the Turks, and the British
authorities found 1t necessary to
continue this living newspaper as .
means Of disseminating information.
Surely there is no unified public opin.
ion to be found among the wandering
BedOuins who constitute one-fourth
of Palestine's population; nor in the
mud villages OF the Fellahin.'
Now as to the alleged fear that
the Jews will oust the natives: 1t
must be borne in mind that a good
part of the land does not belong to
private owners, but is government
property.
without disturbing in the least
the private owners and their land,
there Is still plenty of room for q
new settlement. II Palestine is to
become the keystone of the Cape to
Cairo-Calcutta7 arch 1t will certainly :
need to be far more densely pOpu.
lated than it is now.
when the Jewish nation 'predomi.
mated in Palestine the country played
its great role IN the history Of the
world. To fill Palestine again with
Jewish colonies will not make the ,
present inhabitants strangers in their
nwn In nd. will ho or nd rA