Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-08
RACES At WAR HAD
BRITISH PROMISES
Conflicting Pledges as Well as
Jewish Hopes Create
Crisis in Palestine.
BY PAUL SCOTT MOWRER.
By Cable to The Star and the Chicago Daily

In every important city in Europe
and the United States, from Chicago
to Warsaw-where there is demand
that Poland assume the Palestine man
date-from New York via Paris, Lon
don. Berlin to Bucharest-wnere the
government is allowing Jewish legion
to be enrolled-Jews are meeting ana
protesting, and bringing pressure 10
bear. -, A.-or
meeting at Zurich a month ago, Wnen
the leading Jews, zionists ana non,
Zionists, combined to arrange nnanclal
support for Jewish Immigrants 10
Palestine, there has probably been no
event in recent years which mas Gone
so much to stir whatever exists Oh Nv
ish national consciousness ana pIlng
Jewish communities everywhere INTO
Tncidentally the predominant i'm
nortance of American Jews In the Jew
ish world has been widely demon
strated, But at the same time PAN
Islamism also has been reawakened.
The United States hears little OF
Moslem protest In Egypt, syria Hak'
EASTERN or Indian interests and MOS
lem subjects, these Moslem protests
must also be taken into account.
Problem Of Statecraft.
The question is not one Of compar-
ing and weighing two civilzations,
Moslem and Jewish. so far as the
Western world is concerned, no com
harrison Is possible. Nearly everyone
admits the cultural superiority OF the
Jews. But this assumed cultural 81.
periority does not affect the practical
I1roblen of statecraft for the countries
having Moslem interests.
India, for example, remains with
England the principal pillar OF the
British Empire, and IN India the Brit.
ish policy may be said to De naseo
The situation Affects also the entire
mandate system instituted by the
League of Nations, and indirectly raises
once more the entire question OF racial
minorities, which some political think
ers consider the gravest war danger ex-
isting at the present time.
Palestine, from the earliest days,
has been a strategic center Of foremost
such has been coveted and fought over
by various dominant nations. Its po-
litical Importance Is accentuated by the
fact that it Is the Holy Land for three
great religions-Jewish, Moslem and
Christian.
Conflicting Promises.
For something like IL centuries the
Arabs have occupied and held 1t,
largely under Turkish administration
but with good deal Of local autonomy.
The present trouble may be said to
have had It's origin in conflicting
promises made by the British to the
Arabs in 1916 and to the Jews in 1917.
The Arabs we're told that II they
would rise against the Turks Britain
would help them establish an independ-
ent Arab state after the war.
The Jews, in the Balfour declaration,
were told that Britain would support
the idea Of Jewish national home In
Palestine In accordance with the Zion
ist desires. They thus later won Jewish
support for their claim to Palestine as
British mandate, which, 1t Is believed,
they covet mainly because of its stra-
tegic Importance.
Jewish immigration into Palestine has
been somewhat disappointing. 1t is de-
clared, to Zionists. OF a total popu-
lation OF $4,000. only about one-fifth
are Jews. The rest are mainly Arabs
Between the Jews and the Arabs. as
every one knows, no love is lost. The
Arabs hate and despise the Jews and
the Jews hate and despiSe the Arabs.
No doubt the Jewish immigrants have
improved and enriched the country con-
siderablv. but this aspect is belittled by
the Arabs. who seem to see only that. as
they think, the Jews. with the conniv-
ance OF the British are trying to evict
them from their own country.
The Jews similarly accuse the British
OF favoritism toward the Arabs, and
both races protest Britain's alleged
breach Of wartime pledges.
Britain's role. under these circum-
stances, has been anything but easy.
The British governments friendliness
toward the Jewish aspirations Is certain,
but It also seems certain that some
British officials have been more con-
cerned with Britain's Moslem popula-
ton in India than with the hopes of
the Jews in Palestine.
Long-Latent Conflict.
The conflict, long latent, came sud-
denly to a head within the last year. It
is symbolized by piece of old masonry,
which the Jews call the wailing wall
and the Arabs call the burak.
To the Jews this wall is the sole re-
manning portion of Solomon's Temple
and here gather the devout Israelites to
worship and to bewail the destruction Of
ancient Jerusalem. But to the Arabs
the wall is the western wall Of the
Mosque of Omar. the hottest place out
side of Mecca, for 1t was here that Mo-
manned himself dismounted from his
burak on the night of his ascension to
heaven.
In the last year the Jews have put
lamps on the wall and placed a screen
to separate the men from the women,
all Of which the Moslems have pro-
tested and the British removed.
The Moslems, meanwhile, with Brit
masuue through the wall, thereby
arousing the indignation of the Jews.
There was big Jewish demonstration
at the wall on August IS, with Mos
lem demonstration on the 18th, and
riots on the 18th and 10th. The official
losses to date are 119 Jews, 81 MoSlems
and Christians killed, and 1874 Jews,
2o8 Moslens and 80 Christians wounded.
Fanaticism Runs High.
The British are sending troops and
ships and IAN impartial commission" of
investigation, but bloodShed sporadically
continues all through the country and
Arab fanaticism in particular seems to
be running high.
Whether the Arab uprising was pre-
meditated it is difficult to say. If so,
the moment was doubtless chosen be-
cause Of the three circumstances-first,
the advent of the Labor government In
Britain, whose policies are supposed to
be feebler than those Of the Conserva-
tives; second, the Anglo Egyptian
treaty, giving Egypt larger independ-
ence and arousing Arab hopes; and
third, the Jewish agency conference at
zurich, which was undoubtedly re-
ported to the Arabs as a fresh plan
to increase Jewish influence In Pales-
tine.
That the British police system, de-
spite repeated warnings of trouble brew
ing, was entirely Inadequate is self