The British Imperial forces in the Near and Middle East are now in a better position to defend Egypt, Syria, Palestine and the Suez Canal than they were before the recent Dibyan offensive, it was stated at a press conference today by Capt. Oliver Lyttleton, Secretary of State for the Eastern Mediterranean area.
Questioned on the activities of Axis fifth-columns among the Arabs, Lyttleton replied: “We have an organization to deal with it.” Asked whether he did not believe that Palestine’s potential contribution to the war effort was adversely affected by the refusal to establish Jewish units there, Lyttleton replied that “recruitment in Palestine is on a small scale.” He denied, however, that this small scale recruitment was the reason for Britain’s refusal to form a Jewish Army. He hinted that there were other reasons which prevented full use of Palestine’s manpower. Queried as to whether he was satisfied that Palestine’s industrial war potential was being fully used, the Secretary for State, who is to become Minister of Production, replied evasively that he was generally dissatisfied with the war production in any country.
When pressed to discuss the political situation in the Near East in general and in regard to its effect on the creation of a Jewish force in Palestine, Lyttleton referred to “Oriental complexities” and problems of the Near East, but declined to discuss political details of the situation. Discussing the economic front he emphasized that efforts were being made to make the Near Eastern countries self-supporting which would greatly contribute to solving shipping problems.
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.
