Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-30
PALESTINE PEACE
RESTS ON BAYONET
British Officers Tell Lesson of
Recent Disturbances.
Tribes on Alert.
BY JOHN GUNTHER.
Ry Cable to The Star and Chicago Daily
News. Copyright, 1879.

Ry Cable to The Star and Chicago Daily
News Copyright, 1879.
AMMAN, Transjordania, September
30.--That the Balfour declaration must
henceforth be enforced in Palestine at
the point of the bayonet is the lesson of
the recent disturbances, according to
responsible British officers who were
interviewed during the writer's trip
through Transjordania.
AS soon as the British garrison is
withdrawn from Palestine, the tribes OF
the Transjordan country are likely to
rise and march across the Jordan. In
the meantime they will be permanently
restless as long as the Jewish national
home exists, civil officials agree. This
week the important Howeitat tribe lost
two men, who were killed. and 400
camels stolen in raid by the Messid
tribe.
Bedouins, who, according to the Brit
iSh will be tempted to invade Palestine
when the troops have gone, have no
anti-semitic feelings, but are simply on
the lookout for loot. They are attracted
by the mysterious wireless of the desert
to keep hanging on the outskirts of any
spot where there may be trouble in the
future.
Tranquility Like Miracle.
That the Transjordan country has
almost miracle. Aside from one
squadron of Royal Air Force planes, the
military forces and police together in
Transjordania consist of only 8 British
officers and 1900 Arab privateS. The
utility of the royal air force is seriously
diminished because the tribes know
that the planes are not permitted to
use bombs.
1t is a picturesque story how this
handful of British kept peace in the
Transjordan country-a territory twice
as big as Palestine, stretching half way
to Bagdad.
The Transjordanians heard all man.
ner of wild rumors, that their brethren
in Palestine across the frontier were
being massacred, that the Mosque OF
Omar. in Jerusalem, the second hottest
spot in Islam, had been blown up, and
that the Grand Multi, chief leader OF
the Moslems, had been killed.
Angry Bedouins began coming into
Amman. Immediately that occurred
two British officers, Col. Peake Pasha
and Maj. Stafford Bey, who command
country, together with the civil au-
thorities, assembled six members of the
Arab committee of Amman. Three COM
mitteemen hustled with all speed to
Jerusalem, while the other three were
kept as hostages at Amman. The three
in Jerusalem were taken through the
city, shown that the Mosque of Omar
was intact, led to the presence of the
multi, who was very much alive, and
then made to telephone this back to
the three at Amman.
Quieted by Reinsurance.
This reinsurance quieted Amman
Aramount, the sheik of Benz Sakar, the
chief Trans jordan tribe, was then sum-
moned by the British officers of the
Transjordan frontier force, while the
Royal Air Force went through the
country collecting all other available
sheiks.
Some of these were kept under friend
ly surveillance at Amman, while NTH
gal Pasha, the chief sheik, was per
mitted" to go to Jerusalem to investi-
gate MYTHICAL was allowed to cool off
in the Jerusalem jail for four days and
then return to Amman with the mes
sage to his fellow sheiks that all was
quiet.
The BENZ Sakar tribe alone command
5000 rifles. Had not this prompt di-
plomacy occurred, the handful of Brit
ish might have had a lively time. Emir
Abdullah was also signally instrumental
in keeping the country quiet.