Evening star., 1938-10-13
Palestine's Immigration.

Palestine's immigration.
Reports that Great Britain is consid-
ering stopping Jewish immigration to
Palestine in an effort to appease the
embattled Arabs, who fear the creation
of a Jewish majority in the Holy Land,
have given rise to apprehension among
United States that such step would cut
of one OF the last refugees of the
oppressed Jews in a world Of growing
anti-Semitism.
Senator Robert F. Wagner has said
he will head delegation of Sena-
tors to visit President Roosevelt to dis
cuss possible steps by this Government
to dissuade Great Britain from any such
action; all eight Representatives from
Brooklyn sent President Roosevelt and
Secretary Of State Hull similar plea;
thirty American Christian church and
lay leaders appealed to Prime Minister
Neville Chamberlain not to violate Brit
aims sacred trust" Of establishing 4
national home for the Jews.
AS the Arab rebellion grows in inten-
sity the possibility Of . movement to
divest Great Britain of the Palestine
mandate altogether begins to emerge.
While there is no evidence that the
British government oficially is consider
ing relinquishing it, recent sharp attacks
by Germany and Italy upon Britains
failure to bring peace to Palestine hint
that the dictators look to such a goal
next. Both, Of course, might conceivably
make. the demand as an effective means
of closing to the harassed Jew one Of
the principal havens. The recent Mos
lem Congress In Cairo demanded. with
other things, that Britain surrender the
mandate.
Great Britain was intrusted In 1922
with the great humanitarian mission of
establishing the national home In Pales-
tine, in accordance with the Balfour
Declaration of 1917. The League of Ma
tions gave Palestine to Britain in a man
date which started that "the Mandatory
should be responsible for putting into
effect the declaration originally made on
the 2nd Of November, 1917, by the gov
ernment of His Britannia Majesty, and
adopted by the said powers. in favor Of
the establishment in Palestine of .
national home for the Jewish people, it
being clearly understood that nothing
should be done which might prejudice
tho civil and religious rights OF existing
non-Jewish communities In Palestine, or
the rights and political status enjoyed by
Jews in any other country ="
The mandate specifically obligated the
British government to facilitate Jewish
immigration under suitable conditions"
and to encourage close settle-
ment by Jews on the land =" Pur-
suant to this instruction the British gov
ernment stimulated immigration Of Jews
until at the present time they comprise
nearly half million persons, or about
thirty per cent of the population.
The United States has direct interest
in the national home, and Congress went
on record in joint resolution in 1922
couched In the exact terms Of the Bal
four Declaration. Subsequently, this
Government negotiated with Great Brit
ain the Palestine Convention of 1924,
which, besides assuring American ma
tionals Of their rights within the coun-
try, stated that those rights were not to
be affected by any modification Of the
terms OF the mandate unless such modi-
fication shall have been assented to by
the United States.
Although the right of immigration is
not specifically mentioned In the Anglo
American convention AZ one Of those
which may not be altered without con-
sent of the United States, the United
States, as supporter Of the national
home and as an indirect adherent to the
terms Of the mandate, desires to see
immigration into Palestine continued.
This interest arises not only from its
population Of more than six million Jews.
but from humanitarian considerations as
well, which are particularly pressing at
this moment. President Roosevelt re-
vealed his own interest In the fate Of the
Jewish refugees by calling the conference
at Evian-les-Ba France, last summer.
REIMBURSEMENT Of the mandate, or any
part of it, as proposed by the Peel Com
mission last year. is not 4 matter for
consent by the United States, but 1t
would provide the occasion for . recon-
sideration Of American rights and inter-
ests in Palestine with view to- their
preservation in any now government
structure that may result. Immigration
is one of those primary interests.
Pending the raising Of that question.
however. this Government has ample
ground to protest any move "a ths part