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Immigration Policy in 1938 Hinges on Status of Partition, Ormsby-gore Tells House

November 4, 1937
See Original Daily Bulletin From This Date
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BRITISH POLICY ON IMMIGRATION TO PALESTINE AFTER MARCH 31, 1938, DEPENDS ENTIRELY ON THE STATUS AT THAT TIME OF THE PROPOSED PARTITION SCHEME, THE HOUSE OF COMMONS WAS TOLD TODAY BY COLONIAL SECRETARY WILLIAM ORMSBY-GORE.

THE GOVERNMENT HAS DEFINITELY SCRAPPED THE ECONOMIC ABSORPTIVITY PRINCIPLE FOR THE TIME BEING, HE SAID IN REPLY TO A QUERY BY GEOFFREY MANDER, LIBERAL. THE COLONIAL SECRETARY STATED, HOWEVER, THAT THE NEW IMMIGRATION ORDINANCE (WHICH SETS UP THE POLITICAL PRINCIPLE AS AN IMMIGRATION YARDSTICK) WAS MERELY TEMPORARY.

WHAT HAPPENS AFTER MARCH 31, (WHEN THE 8-MONTH SCHEDULE OF 8,000 CERTIFICATES EXPIRES) HE ADDED, MUST “NECESSARILY DEPEND ON THE PROGRESS MADE IN THE PARTITION SCHEME.” IF THE PLAN HAS REACHED THE STATE OF “PROVISIONAL ACCEPTANCE,” THE WHOLE QUESTION OF IMMIGRATION WILL BE CONSIDERED ON A NEW BASIS, MR. ORMSBY-GORE DECLARED.

THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT’S NEW POLICY OF FIRMNESS IN DEALING WITH ARAB TERRORISM WAS STRESSED TODAY BY THE COLONIAL SECRETARY. THE GOVERNMENT HAS COME TO THE CONCLUSION, HE SAID IN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY COMMUNIST WILLIAM GALLACHER, THAT ITS FORBEARANCE WAS MISTAKEN FOR WEAKNESS, AND IT IS ESSENTIAL TO RESTORE ORDER IF THE LIVES OF JEWS AND ARAB MODERATES ARE TO BE SAVED.

HE DECLARED EMPHATICALLY THAT THE GOVERNMENT WOULD NOT RECONSIDER ITS ATTITUDE TOWARD THE ARAB HIGHER COMMITTEE, WHICH HAS BEEN SUPPRESSED TOGETHER WITH ALL ITS AFFILIATES. THE GOVERNMENT IS FULLY SATISFIED, HE SAID, THAT THE COMMITTEE HAS BEEN AGAINST THE MAINTENANCE OF PUBLIC SECURITY AND ORDER, AND MUST BE REGARDED AS MORALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE RECENT CAMPAIGN OF MURDER AND TERRORISM.

THE ACTION AGAINST THE MUFTI OF JERUSALEM, HAJ AMIN EL HUSSEINI, WHO WAS DEPOSED FROM GOVERNMENT AND RELIGIOUS POSITIONS AND LATER FLED FROM PALESTINE, WAS TAKEN AS A DIRECT RESULT OF THIS TERRORISM CAMPAIGN, THE COLONIAL SECRETARY SAID.

THE GOVERNMENT IS NOT SEEKING TO EXTRADITE THE MUFTI FROM HIS REFUGE IN SYRIA, VISCOUNT CRANBORNE, UNDER-SECRETARY FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS, TOLD THE HOUSE IN REPLY TO A QUERY BY COL. JOSIAH WEDGWOOD, LABORITE.

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