London Weekly Hints at Reich’s Strategic Interest in Palestine

Germany’s increased interest in Palestine for strategic reasons is commented on by time and tide, independent weekly review, which describes, recent nazi activities among the Arabs.

“Nazi politics,” the paper says, “are now, more than ever, interested in the Orient and it is not for nothing that, in every one of his last three speeches Hitler gleefully remarked on British troubles in pales tine. here is, taken at random, an enumeration of a few more or less recent facts given considerable prominence in the german press:

“Abdul Asis, ex-Sultan of Morocco, received by Ribbentrop.

“Other negotiations with Auni Bey Abdul Hadi.

“Last Nuremberg Congress for first time attended by two Arab delegations: one from Iraq, one from Palestine.

“Baldur von Schirach, Nazi Youth Leader, on much publicized trip to Baghdad, Syria and Palestine.

“Oscar von Niedermayer, the ‘German Lawrence, promoted Colonel as well as Professor of Army Science at Berlin University. Niedermayer gained considerable renown during the War for very cleverly stirring up trouble in Persia and Afghanistan and (1916) in Turkestan. He is now ‘to be assigned for special service.1”

The paper also draws attention to the “peculiarly awkward” position in Jerusalem where the rebels are entrenched in the mosques. “it is only too easy,” the paper warns, “for the Arabs to arrange bombs and corpses in that holy quarter and point to them as the work of the impious british soldiery. the grand mufti, leading a life of enjoyable intrigue in Lebanon, is rubbing his hands with pleasure at the success of his plots to overthrow British control and stop the influx of Jews. Military authorities are agreed that the restoration of order will be a long and tough job.”

The journal asserts that the majority report of the Woodhead Commission will be against partition. it urges that another effort be made to bring the Arabs and Jews into co-operation, but warns that a “unified state” cannot be achieved until anti-british propaganda is stopped. “German agents are known to be in close touch with the Mufti, and arms and ammunition for his supporters are said to have landed at Syrian ports.”