A SHARP WARNING TO THE ITALIAN GOVERNMENT THAT CONTINUING ANTI-BRITISH PROPAGANDA IN PALESTINE WOULD MAKE IMPROVEMENT IN ANGLO-ITALIAN RELATIONS IMPOSSIBLE WAS DISCLOSED IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS TODAY BY FOREIGN SECRETARY ANTHONY EDEN.
DECLARING THE ITALIAN PROPAGANDA WAS STILL CONTINUING DESPITE FREQUENT PROTESTS BY THE FOREIGN OFFICE, MR. EDEN SAID:
“I RECENTLY INFORMED THE ITALIAN AMBASSADOR THAT THE GOVERNMENT WAS AWARE OF THIS PROPAGANDA AND ADDED THAT UNLESS PUT TO AN END IT WOULD MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO CREATE AN ATMOSPHERE TO IMPROVE MUTUAL RELATIONS.”
COLONIAL SECRETARY WILLIAM ORMSBY-GORE, REPLYING TO A QUERY BY LABORITE JOSIAH WEDGWOOD, DECLARED HE HAD NOT RECEIVED A REPORTED REQUEST BY LOYAL ARABS AND JEWISH FARMERS IN PALESTINE FOR THE RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS IN SELF-DEFENSE. HE ADDED THAT ISSUANCE OF ARMS LICENSES IN ALL APPROVED CASES HAD NOT BEEN SUSPENDED. ASKED BY COL. WEDGWOOD WHETHER APPLICATIONS WERE BEING MADE TO THE PALESTINE GOVERNMENT AND “HOW MANY MORE PEOPLE THE GOVERNMENT WOULD ALLOW TO BE MURDERED BEFORE ALLOWING THEM TO DEFEND THEMSELVES,” MR. ORMSBY-GORE SAID PERMITS HAD BEEN GRANTED IN ALL CASES WHERE THE GOVERNMENT BELIEVED THEY WOULD NOT BE ABUSED OR FALL INTO THE HANDS OF TERRORISTS.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.