Great Britain and the East, authoritative organ on colonial affairs, declared today that Britain is in Palestine primarily for strategic reasons and “the British Empire does not send thousands of men to Palestine for emotional purposes.”
The chief question for the Royal Commission now investigating recent disorders in the Holy Land is whether the strategic purposes are best served by having the Jewish people in Palestine permanently dependent on Britain for existence and security or by winning Arab friendship and cooperation, an editorial in the weekly asserted.
Defense Minister Sir Thomas Inskip evaded a direct reply in Commons to a question by Col. Josiah Wedgwood, Laborite, on whether Palestine would replace Egypt in the British defense system.
“Our system of defense is not weakened under the Anglo-Egyptian treaty,” Sir Thomas said.
He declined to answer a further question on what steps would be taken to strengthen the British section of Palestine’s population.
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