Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-06

Palestine has been given what
is tantamount TO summary or
ders to settle amicably" to the
satisfaction of Moslems and
Jews alike. the troublesome issues sur
rounding the "Wailing Wall.
In its confidential report the man
dates commission declares that III Is
not sufficient that the Palestine. gov
eminent be prepared to act as inter
mediaries." The commission declares
that: 1T would seem exped1ent ana
indeed imperative that the govern n .,lo
take active steps TO induce the tWo
conflicting parties to reach voluntary
agreement Clothed in diplomatic
parlance, the report is like the famous
message to Garcia" 1t refralns from
telling the British Palestine admins
tration how to carry out its suggestion,
but specifies clearly what Is to be done.
The controversies over the "Walilng
Wall" have reached the League on at
least two occasions OF late. year ago
the Jewish population appealed TO the
mandates commission to force the MOS
lens to permitting the erection OF
benches for the WorShipers. In in
clement weather, according to the pc
titioners the aged and inf1rm, many OF
whom had travelled many miles to weep
at the most sacred shrine OF Israel,
sank down exhausted from their wall
ing on the cold, damp ground. con:
tracing illnesses which often proved
fatal.
MosIems State Their Case.
The Moslems, whose Mosque Of Omar
is located on the ground bounded by
the ancient wall of Jerusalem, pleaded
/ that
it was not the benches they objected to
but the establishing of presidents. The
Jews. they said, would first raise the
| benches. then they would demand the
right to place wall around the bencnes
Then would come request to place
roof over the wall, after which it would
require bloodshed to restore the previous
status The Mandates Commission de-
| liberated long and seriously. One mem
| Der even suggested that the Jewish
walters provide themselves with portable
| chairs or stools which. like the milk
stools of the Swiss mountaineers, could
be strapped to its owner. The Moslems
offered no objection to such an inno-
walton, but the Jewish worshipers did
not take kindly to the idea.
| This years protest resulted from Fore
| ible removal of partition erected by
! the Jews to separate the men and
women walters. The Moslems, it seems,
| had only protested, leaving it to the
British authorities to bring about the
destruction of the barrier. The walters
resisted and some of them were badly
handled-in fact, so badly, according
to the petition. that the entire Jewish
world was shocked at the outrage.
| Although the Mandates Commission
! has not recommended the action Off
cially, it Is understood that there is
movement on foot to seek property
rights in the historic wall for the Jews
Since the Moslems regard the ground
in the vicinity as sacred, it would be
rather difficult for the administrative
authorities to appropriate it. The Jews
offer to purchase it. but the Moslems
refuse to sell-at any price.
Report Confidential.
The question. to certain extent, is
similar to the Iraki-Bahai controversy
over the property of Abdul Bahai,
founder of the Bahai movement. The
Irak mixed tribunal ruled against the
Bahai group who sought to Raglan
possession of the confiscated shrine and
the latter have appealed to the League
of Justice on the grounds that the
principle of religious tolerance in a
inundated territory is involved. The
Mandate Commissions report, which
will not be submitted to the League
Council until next March, at the mo-
ment is regarded as confidential.
Whether the Council will approve 1t
and order 1t forwarded to governments