Evening star., 1946-04-18
Letters to The Star
Spokesman for Arabs Discusses
Trans.Jordan Problem

To the Editor Of The Star:
In your issue Of April Is Guy M. Gil
lette Of the American League for Free
Palestine takes exception to the recent
action Of Great Britain terminating
the mandatory status Of Trans-Jordan
and recognizing that country rs sover-
eign independent state. The writer
apparently chose to invalidate the new
change by falling back on quotations
from different conventions to corrob-
crate his thesis.
To start with one must inquire as to
now and for what reason was the sys-
tenn Of mandates ever evolved and i'm
plemented in the territories formerly
belonging to the Ottoman Empire. Was
1t because the mandate served as 4
subterfuge for another form of coloniza.
ZION, or was 1t understood to be a
transitory stage during which the in
dlgenous peoples would be trained to
rule themselves freely and independent
ly? In this respect quote article q
OF the covenant of the League of Ma
tions, which reads: "s -. Certain com.
munities formerly belonging to the
Turkish Empire have reached 4 state
OF development where their existence
as Independent nations can be pro-
visionally recognized, subject to the
rendering Of administrative advice and
assistance by mandatory, until such
time as they are able to stand
alone. ."
Therefore. the function Of the rnanda-
tory was only temporary in nsture and
was to be brought to an end somehow
at some time.
In this spirit the mandate of Irao
was terminated and replaced by 4
treaty OF mutual friendship and al
lance. The same thing was repeated
IN the cases Of Syria and Lebanon and
recently applied to Trans Jordan. The
British Foreign Secretary made a for
NAL declaration to that effect last jan
uary at the general assembly of the
United Nations in London, when he
stated the intention Of the British gov
ernment to replace the instrument of
the mandate by 4 treaty Of alliance.
Therefore, any objection to this new
development, unless motivated, should
be considered as unsound.
On the other hand Mr.. Gillette
speaks OF Trans-Jordan in such a way
as to leave the impression that it was
part Of Palestine This never has
been the case. Trans-Jordan all
through the Ottoman regime was part
OF the Vilayat Of Damascus (adminis-
trative division). During the First
World War Trans-Jordan was liberated
entirely by the forces Of Emir Feisal.
which formed the right wing of Gen.
Allenby's campaign in the Near East.
When Feisal was proclaimed King Of
Syria the territory known as Trans
Jordan was included in the Syrian
kingdom and remained as such until
the King was forced by the French
to leave the country. Jordan,
accordingly, became . country without
ruler and was occupied by Prince
Abdullah, who swept from the south
to fight the French forces in Syria.
The British, who were assigned the
mandate over Palestine, at once came
to an agreement with the Prince by
which the Emir was recognized as the
head OF the new state known as Trans
Jordan, with England allotted the role
OF a mandatory. 1t was agreed that
the provisions of the Palestine mandate
were to apply to Trans-Jordan, with
those OF the national home policy ,ex-
cluded. In 1928 Great Britain entered
into another agreement with the Emir,
by which his authority was established
all over the country.
In the light Of these facts Trans-Jor-
dan was never part Of Palestine, nor
have the Zionists any right to claim
that 1t was so. The Zionist organiza-
ton realizes this only too well, and it
Is because their designs are not con-
fined to Palestine that they oppose the
attainment of sovereign status by Trans
Jordan. OMAR A. KHADRA,
The Arab Once.