Arab Press Asserts Emir Abdullah Anxious to See Jews Settle in Transjordan; Allege Jewish National F

While Emir Abdullah is being pressed by Transjordan leaders to permit the lease of land to Jews, the Arab press has renewed vigorously its agitation against such action, going so far as to express lack of confidence in Emir Abdullah’s denial of the land lease to Jews.

The Arab press asserts that the petition signed by twenty-one sheiks of Transjordan, urging the lease of land to the Jews, which was submitted to the Emir and the High Commissioner was engineered by Emir Abdullah himself. Emir Abdullah, they allege is anxious to see Jews settle in Transjordan.

The Istiklal, the Arab Independence party, announces that it will issue a new statement expressing dissatisfaction with Emir Abdullah’s communique of January 26th following the cancellation of the option granted to a Jewish company in which he declared: “In order to deny false reports spread regarding the lease of the Ghor Lands to a foreign company or foreign citizens, the Emir’s palace announces that these reports are absolutely baseless.”

“El Islamea” today carries eight articles, all attacking Emir Abdullah’s action in the land lease matter. One article asserts that the Jewish National Fund is behind the project to lease Transjordan land and says that eventually the former may conclude a land lease, under the name of some Britons.

In another article the same paper alleges that the representatives of the British Government in Amman advised the Emir to postpone the deal for the time being in order to allay the indignation of the Arabs.

While the Arab press is agitating against the land lease, Emir Abdullah has received thirty telegrams from Transjordan leaders, calling upon him to lease his land to the Jews in order to bring Jewish capital into the country to save Transjordan, now in an acute economic state.