The King today approved the appointment of Harry Charles Luke, chief secretary of the Palestine government and the country’s administrator during the Palestine riots, as lieutenant governor of Malta to succeed Sir Thomas Best who has been named governor of the Windward Islands. Mr. Luke’s appointment to the Malta post was foreshadowed in reports current in official circles in Jerusalem.
Mr. Luke who had ### of the British spokesman ### extraordinary ### the Mandate Commission which examined the remote immediate causes of the Palestine riots, had borne the brunt of Jewish criticism against the Palestine government for its action preceding and during the disturbances of last Summer.
Whether or not the transfer of H. C. Luke, chief secretary of the Palestine government to Malta as lieutenant governor is in deference to the demands of Zionist leaders after the riots for his recall, the Jewish population here is pleased that he is not returning. Jews here are especially bitter towards him because in his testimony at the Inquiry Commission he said that the disturbances were inevitable.
Arab opinion on the shift of Luke to Malta is as yet unknown. A caustic commentator here said today that Luke could not do any harm in Malta since trouble had already started there.
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.
