The International High Court here will shortly hear the action being brought by Max Delfiner against the British government as the Palestine mandatory. Delfiner is demanding compensation from Great Britain for losses suffered in Palestine during the riots and before the riots. The Austrian government, of which Delfiner is a subject, has agreed to back him since The Hague Court deals only in differences between states and not individuals of different states. The court itself has promised to hear the case.
Delfiner charges that Sir Herbert Samuel as High Commissioner assured him that the necessary economic conditions would be created to enable the normal development of Jewish industries in Palestine and promised special customs protection for the new silk industry in which Delfiner was interested. According to Delfiner, after he had invested $300,000 in the silk business, the Palestine government changed its mind and imposed a high duty on imported raw materials making it impossible for him to stay in business.
Later, under the High Commissionership of Lord Plumer when his raw materials were exempted from duty Delfiner started work again but, he claims, the antagonistic treatment of the Palestine officials made a continuation of work once more imposible.
This summer he again started work in order to utilize to some extent the capital he had invested but the riots, for which he holds the Palestine administration responsible, compelled him to discontinue his operations again. Delfiner, who now lives in Vienna, is aware that to buck the British is no easy matter, is nevertheless prepared to make every financial sacrifice, maintaining that he is not the only victim of bad treatment but that many other industrialists were misled and lost large sums of money in Palestine enterprises.
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.
