Evening star., 1938-12-18
Palestine Parley Challenges
Imperial Power of Britain
Weakened by Necessity to Compromise, British
Face Jew-Arab Problem With
Prestige at Stake
BY James B. Resfon,


Their achievement" says British Co.
lonial Secretary Malcolm Macdonald,
"has been remarkable. They have turned
sand dunes into orange groves. They
have pushed ever further into wasteland
the frontiers of cultivation and settle
ment They have created a new city
where before there was only bare sea-
shore y"
Some observers also agree that the
Jews have brought prosperity to the
Arabs and have no wish to drive them
out or turn them into minority people
Il know it is useless to press that
argument on the Arabs" says MacDon-
aid. They are deaf to the argument.
They are blind to the spectacle of grad
ually improving standard of life. ="
Nevertheless, the Arab birth rate since
the signing of the Balfour declaration
answers many Arab questions.
Since 1922 Jewish immigration of $780,
600 has increased the total Jewish popu-
lation to around 100000. In that same
time, due simply to the introduction by
Jews OF sanitary conditions, modern
medical methods and irrigation, the
Arabs have increased naturally from
100000 to 100000
Since the Arab birth rate has more
than kept pace with Jewish immigration,
Britain takes the view that the Jews
are not numerically turning the Arabs
into minority population.
Watch Rebelliously.
The Arabs, just the same, have watched
Jewish immigration with fear and op-
position. They have denounced British
control, demanded national independ-
ence, protested against Jewish immi-
grafton and the sale of land to Jews: and
when these protests failed, serious vio-
lence broke out in 1896.
The murder of two Jews on April IS
OF that year lead to a comprehensive
Arab general strike and to the formation
OF the Arab Higher Committee under the
Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Hal Amin ell
Husseini, who is held responsible by
Britain for much of the disorder in
Palestine and who is therefore barred
from the forthcoming conference.
The 1886 opposition was put down by
sending additional troops to the Holy
Land and in July, 1887, the British gov
eminent accepted in principle the recon-
mendation of a royal commission that
Palestine should be partitioned between
the Jews and Arabs.
This decision only increased the op-
position Both Arabs and Jews opposed
it, and on November of this year Britain
called the Jews and Arabs to this con-
ference and abandoned partition" as
"unworkable."
Colonial Secretary Macdonald recently
made it clear that the plan Britain in
tends to put into force will recognize the
right of both Arabs and Jews to live in
Palestine without political domination
from each other.
Warns of Refugee "Dumping."
At the same time, he indicated that
some limit must be put on Jewish immi-
grafton:
Il must utter this word of warning"
he said. when We promised to facili-
tate the establishment of a national
home for Jews in Palestine, we never an
tlclpated this fierce persecution in Eu-
rope. We have made no promise that
that country should be the home for
everybody who is seeking to escape from
such an immense calamity = The
problem of the refugees in Central Eu-
rope cannot be settled in Palestine"
1t is the intention of Britain eventually
to turn over the mandate to binational
Arab-Jew government, but in the mean
time it is generally expected to propose
setting up in Palestine group of au-
tonomous cantons under a central gov
ernment controlled by Britain.
Meanwhile, 1000 Jews are going to
Palestine every month and Britain hopes
to reach some permanent solution when
the delegates from both sides arrive in
| London.