For the second time within a month Emir Abdullah today saw fit to officially deny rumors gaining strong currency that he is planning to lease part of his personal domain to Jews.
Without any previous warning, the Emir suddenly issued a second communique, a companion piece to his communique of January 26th, declaring: “Some of the foreign newspapers have published reports that despite the official communique from the Emir’s Palace announcing the annulment of the projected land lease, many, nevertheless, remain regretfully suspicious regarding its truthfulness. Therefore the Palace announces herewith definite assurance to public opinion of Transjordan that all these rumors are without foundation and confirms his previous announcement.
“His Highness has accepted the above land with thanks, as a gift, and if he does not succeed in developing it with his private capital he will leave it just as it is as a memorial.”
Denial that he planned to lease his land to a Jewish company and cancellation of an option allegedly given to this company was made by Emir Abdullah on January 25th and 26th.
In the last week, however, reports were revived that an agreement for the lease of Transjordan land would be concluded with a group of Jews. In this connection, it was reported that a movement was being formed in Transjordan itself, led by Transjordan chiefs, to prevail upon Abdullah to change his mind and upon the Transjordan Legislature to sanction the lease of land to Jews.
A petition in this sense had been drawn up and signed by twenty-one Transjordan sheiks and presented to Emir Abdullah and the High Commissioner for Palestine. The opening of the Transjordan Legislative Assembly last Thursday was to have heard a plea for the legalization of land leases to foreigners, but the session was suddenly postponed at the last minute.
The renewed reports of the land lease brought with them a renewal of a vigorous campaign of opposition on the part of the Arab press of Palestine, which openly accused Emir Abdullah of having engineered the petition of the sheiks and termed his denial of the lease a “fake.”
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