Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-05
The Aftermath in Palestine.

All is quiet on the Palestinian front,
thanks to the vigorous military measures
taken by the British authorities, and the
work of retribution and reconstruction
is now in progress. That the Holy Land
has, indeed, been the scene Of what
Senator Borah pilloried as IAN interna-
tional shambles" is indicated by the
latest official casualty list, which shows
that during the fortnight of carnage
l19 Jews, 81 Moslems and Christians
were killed, while the number Of seri-
ously wounded includes ITS Jews, 121
Moslems and IL Christians.
Terrible as these figures are, they
cannot possibly tell half the tale of
savagery which has horrified the whole
civilized world. 1t is therefore crafty
ing that Great Britain; as the manda-
tory power in Palestine, is moving
toward its civilian responsibilities with
the same celebrity which marked her
measures to suppress disorder and stop
bloodshed. Sir John Chancellor, the
high commissioner at Jerusalem, has
ordered the establishment Of special
courts, consisting solely Of British
judges, to deal with atrocities committed
during the recent Arab-Jewish riots"
The proclamation announcing the
courts emphasizes that they will deal
with all criminal offenders without dis
tinction Of race or creed.
While these punitive tribunals are
preparing to function, the British gov
eminent at London Is forming q par
liamentary commission Of inquiry, which
will explore the whole situation in Pal
estine in the light Of the tragic events"
there, as President Hoover has described
them. The commission will be headed
by Sir Walter Shaw, q former chief JUS
tice of the Straits Settlement and
apparently q jurist familiar with the
Islamic world. With him will sit three
members Of the House of Commons,
representing, respectively, the Labor,
Conservative and Liberal parties. .
One Of the parliamentary commits
sion's prescribed duties Is to look
thoroughly into the question Of any
possible connivance between local Pal
estinian ofhcials, mainly British, and
Arab irreconcilables whose enmity to
the Jews and hostility to the Jewish
National Home idea are notorious. Grave
accusations Of such connivance have
been heard since the ancient Wailing
Wall controversy led to the recent mas
sacres in Jerusalem, Safed, Hebron,
Tel-Aviv and other Jewish
settlements. The world has a right to
expect that this phase Of the situation
will be probed to the very bottom.
No one has q more vital interest in
that kind Of an inquiry than the Brit
ish themselves, for their mandatory OBJ
legations 10 preserve peace and tran
quillity in Palestine are solemn, specific
and unacceptable. Speaking at VAN
couver this week, Mr.. Winston Church.
Ill, M. p, late chancellor Of the ex-
chequer, pointed out that the empires
own vital interests require q strong
hand IN the Holy Land at this juno
ture. Any sign of weakness, he said,
would encourage the enormous Moslem
world in the British territory-especial-
ly neighboring and sullen India-to
fiirt with the idea that their hour for
defying Britains authority had also
struck.
American lives have been taken by
fanatical Arabs in Palestine and many
American citizens are among the
wounded. That is a special reason
why the people Of the United States
will await the result Of the British COM
mission Of inquiry with anxious inter-
est and in the firm expectation that It
will be conducted with zeal and i'm
Partially.