British Forces Press Drive Against Arab Agitators; Mufti’s Supporters Seek Strike

ARAB UNREST MOUNTED TODAY OVER THE SUPPRESSION OF ARAB POLITICAL GROUPS AND ARREST OR DEPOSITION OF LEADERS WHILE BRITISH FORCES PRESSED “MOPPING UP” OPERATIONS AGAINST AGITATORS AND TERRORISTS.

AGITATION FOR A NATION-WIDE STRIKE WAS LAUNCHED BY ADHERENTS OF GRAND MUFTI HAJ AMIN EL HUSSEINI, DEPOSED PRESIDENT OF THE MOSLEM SUPREME COUNCIL. TWELVE YOUTHFUL AGITATORS WERE ARRESTED. THE MUKHTAR (VILLAGE CHIEF) OF BEDOUINS DWELLING IN THE HAIFA BAY AREA WAS SHOT DEAD. SAFED WAS THROWN INTO PANIC WHEN NUMEROUS SHOTS WERE FIRED INTO THE JEWISH QUARTER. NO CASUALTIES WERE REPORTED.

A SECRET $500,000 FUND WAS REPORTED UNCOVERED BY GOVERNMENT AUDITORS EXAMINING THE ARAB BANK, WHOSE AMERICAN MANAGER, TOUKAN BEY SHOUMAN, WAS AMONG THE ARABS ARRESTED FRIDAY FOR EXILE TO THE SEYCHELLES ISLANDS IN THE INDIAN OCEAN. THE FUND WILL BE CONFISCATED, IT WAS SAID.

OFFICES OF LOCAL ARAB NATIONALIST COMMITTEES IN THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT WERE SEARCHED AND HEADS OF THE YOUNG MOSLEM ASSOCIATION WERE ARRESTED. POLICE SEARCHED THE OFFICE OF THE KADI (MOSLEM RELIGIOUS HEAD) OF JAFFA AND CONFISCATED DOCUMENTS. THE KADI FLED.

THE GOVERNMENT NOTIFIED BANKS THAT THE SERVICES OF HUSSEIN KHALIDI, ONE OF THE EXILED ARAB LEADERS, AS MAYOR OF JERUSALEM, TERMINATED SEPT. 30 — THE DAY BEFORE HIS ARREST. EDGAR SHELLY, PRESIDENT OF THE JERUSALEM CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, WILL REPLACE HIM TEMPORARILY, IT WAS LEARNED.

GOVERNMENT TO ESTABLISH ARAB AGENCY

THE PALESTINE GOVERNMENT, HAVING SUPPRESSED THE ARAB SUPREME COMMITTEE, WAS UNDERSTOOD TO HAVE STARTED PREPARATIONS FOR ESTABLISHMENT OF AN ARAB AGENCY, SIMILAR TO THE JEWISH AGENCY FOR PALESTINE, AS RECOMMENDED BY THE BRITISH ROYAL COMMISSION.

THE GOVERNMENT OFFICIALLY REQUESTED LEBANON, THE REPUBLIC BORDERING PALESTINE ON THE NORTH, TO AUGMENT ITS CONTROL OVER PALESTINIANS THERE.

A STRICT CENSORSHIP PREVENTED LOCAL NEWSPAPERS FROM PUBLISHING A WORD OF THE EXTENSIVE REPORTS AND REACTIONS ABROAD ON THE STRINGENT STEPS TAKEN FRIDAY. TELEPHONE SERVICE WITH NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES REMAINED SUSPENDED, ALTHOUGH SERVICE WAS FUNCTIONING WITH DISTANT COUNTRIES.

STRONG MEASURES WERE TAKEN BY THE GOVERNMENT TO GUARD AGAINST DISTURBANCES IN THE WAKE OF THE COUP. POLICE AND MILITARY DETACHMENTS GUARDED ALL ROADS AND PATROLLED THE STREETS OF IMPORTANT POPULATION CENTERS. A STRONG GUARD CONTINUED TO SURROUND THE MOSQUE OF OMAR, WHICH THE MUFTI CONTINUED TO OCCUPY PROTECTED BY A BODYGUARD OF FAITHFUL FOLLOWERS.

The OFFICIAL GAZETTE ANNOUNCED THAT THE MUFTI IS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR THE PRESIDENCY OF THE MOSLEM RELIGIOUS COURTS. THE ANNOUNCEMENT WAS MADE, IT IS UNDERSTOOD, IN REPLY TO THREATS VOICED BY ARAB NOTABLES THAT THEY WOULD ELECT HIM TO THAT POST AS DEMONSTRATION OF THEIR CONTINUED SUPPORT AND IN PROTEST AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT’S ACTION.

NASHASHIBI’S ASCENDENCY SEEN OPENING WAY TO COMPROMISE

MEANWHILE, ANOTHER ARAB LEADER, AHMED HILMI PASHA, WAS ARRESTED YESTERDAY AT GAZA AND TAKEN TO HAIFA ON A ROYAL AIR FORCE PLANE. THERE HE JOINED FOUR OTHER ARAB LEADERS IN CONFINEMENT ON THE BRITISH CRUISER SUSSEX TO AWAIT EXILE.

WHILE JEWS HAILED THE COUP, THE MUFTI’S ADHERENTS WERE DEPRESSED. THE GENERAL OPINION WAS THAT RAGHEB BEY NASHASHIBI, FORMER MAYOR OF JERUSALEM, AND BITTER OPPONENT OF THE MUFTI, WOULD SUCCEED HIM AS THE MOST IMPORTANT FIGURE IN PALESTINE ARAB LIFE. HIS ACCESSION TO THE LEADERSHIP WAS EXPECTED TO OPEN THE WAY TO ARAB-JEWISH-BRITISH COMPROMISES, PARTICULARLY ON THE PARAMOUNT QUESTION OF PROJECTED PARTITION OF THE HOLY LAND.

ARAB NOTABLES TELEGRAPHED ARAB RULERS OF NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES PROTESTING THE ARRESTS AND DEPORTATIONS OF THEIR COLLEAGUES. THE HEBREW DAILY HAARETZ DECLARED IN AN EDITORIAL THAT THE GOVERNMENT FINALLY TOOK THE STEP DEMANDED AND EXPECTED BY THE JEWISH COMMUNITY AND BY THE WORLD.