Britain Does Not Intend to Raise or Guarantee Loan for Palestine

Although the British government considers “all the time” the question of the settlement of Palestine, it is entirely undecided as to whether or not a loan for the development and the settlement of the country is to be raised or guaranteed by the government. This was the reply Col. Amery, Secretary for the Colonies, made to Col. Josiah Wedgwood, who raised the question yesterday in the House of Commons. Col. Wedgwood asked whether the Colonial Office is considering the raising or guaranteeing of a loan for the development and settlement of Palestine.

Col. Amery replied in the negative, declaring that the government considered, last June, a proposal made by the Zionist Organization that the British government join other government in the guarantee of a loan for Jewish settlement of Palestine. The Zionist Organization was then informed that the British Government, without finally rejecting the proposal, is unable to encourage it. The position is now unchanged and a reconsideration is therefore unjustified.

Col. Wedgwood, pressing further asked the Colonial Secretary whether the fact that Sir John Chancellor, who was previously High Commissioner of Rhodesia, has now become Palestine High Commissioner, does not enable the government to reconsider the matter. To this question, Col. Amery replied that the High Commissioner is considering the whole situation and he has (Continued on Page 4)

been unable to arrive at any decision yet.

Commander Kenworthy asked the Colonial Secretary whether the terms of the Haifa harbor contracts include fare wage clauses and whether, in case contract labor is intended, a proportion of Jewish workers would be engaged.

Col. Amery replied in the affirmative. The High Commissioner has been invited to consider a satisfactory scale of wages. To a question of Col. Wedgwood, the Secretary said, the government was endeavoring to arrange a scale which would not involve invidious distinctions between nationalities.