The anti-Zionist propaganda of certain Arab leaders was mentioned frequently in the British High Court today, when Lord Darling presided in a suit brought by Prince Habib Lotfallah, Minister of Foreign Affairs in ex-King Hussein’s government and now diplomatic representative of Hedjas in Europe against Engineer Walker A. Harper of the Westminster Construction Company.
Prince Lotfallah invested £10,000 in shares of the Westminster Construction Company. The Comany, which was engaged in reconstruction work in France, suffered a loss of 340,000 France. The Prince claims he bought the shares of the company on the understanding that it would start operations in the Neart East, which it failed to do. He therefore demanded the return of his investment.
Prince Lotfallah; who spoke French, explained that he had made the investment with the intention of improving the commercial and diplomatic relations between the Near East and England. He claims the Westminster Construction Company obtained the money from him on fraudulent representation.
Sir Leslie Scott, conservative member of Parliament and pro-Zionist, who was counsel for the defense, in cross-examination of the complainant, said to Prince Lotfallah, “You claim that your motive was the creation of better relations between England and the Near East, while in reality you wanted to drive the English out of Palestine and Syria.”
Prince Lotfallah in reply at first denied that he expressed political views against the English or that he was in any way hostile to England. Upon further cross examination, however, the Prince admitted that he was “hostile to all who come to our country to dominate us.” Asked for an explanation of what he understands by the words “come to our country”, he stated that he referred to the English and the French. As to the meaning of “our country”, he stated that he implied Syria, Palestine and Mesopotamia.
Sir Leslie Scott submitted evidence to the court that Prince Lotfallah was in Washington in November 1922, demanding the territories of Mesopotamia, Transjordania, Palestine and Syria for King Hussein under the Treaty of 1915 and that he represented King Hussein in Genoa, Geneva, Rome and London, and that he was actively associated in London with the Anti-Zionist National Political League. The defense contended that the promised directorship in the Westminster Construction Company was withheld from the Prince because of his political expression against England.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
