British Do Not Control Transjordania Says Prime Minister

(Jewish Telegraphic Agency)

Great Britain does not directly control Transjordania either financially or administratively, the new Prime Minister of Transjordania, Hassan Pasha declared in an interview granted to the representative of the Palestine Telegraphic Agency here.

Commenting on the recent allegations published in the Palestinian Arab Press to the effect that Great Britain is seizing the control of Transjordania by appointing British officers as advisers to the various Government Departments under conditions which make them the real ministers with the nominal ministers acting merely as their mouthpieces, the Premier declared:

“All the British advisers in Transjordania are Transjordanian officials just like all other Transjordanian officials and they are under the instructions of the Transjordanian Government and not of the British Government. The only exception is Colonel Cox, the Chief British Representative in Transjordania, who is under the instructions of the Colonial Office in London. It is in no way true to say that Transjordania is being controlled by Britain. The fact that a British expert like Mr. Kirkbride has taken over the post of Director of Transjordanian finances is a matter of great satisfaction to us because it means that our financial position will be put on a sound footing.

“The Transjordanian Government,” he stated, “is now studying the question of currency, the regulation of the system of taxation and various measures to attract foreign capital into Transjordania for the purpose of exploiting its valuable natural resources.”

With regard to the report which appeared in the Palestinian Arab press that the Transjordanian government was going to conclude an agreement with the Ruttenberg Electric Company for the purpose of extending the Ruttenberg electrification works to the Eastern side of the River Jordan, the Premier said that so far the negotiations with the Ruttenberg Company in this matter had failed. The new Government of Transjordania had not yet received any proposal from the Ruttenberg Electric Company, he declared.

Dealing with the complaints made by the French that Druze rebels are being allowed to enter Transjordania bearing their arms, the Premier said that this was so because every one in Transjordania is entitled to bear arms. The Transjordanian authorities, however, compelled the Druzes who had crossed into Transjordania to take no part directly or indirectly, in the rebellion on the Syrian side of the border and saw to it that they observed strict neutrality.