Colonel Josiah Wedgwood asked in the House of Commons to-day whether the Colonial Secretary was aware that the organisers of the Moslem Conference in Jerusalem had declared that one of the items for discussion was the defence of the Islamic Holy Places, whether the Government understood that this would include the Wailing Wall or not, whether any attempt to stir up religious feeling against Jew or Christian would be held to be ground for action by the Government, whether that consequence had been made clear to the Grand Mufti, and the organisers, and whether an undertaking to avoid such incitement would be obtained from any visitors to Palestine who hoped to be present at the Conference.
Sir Robert Hamilton, the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies, said that the answer to the first and second parts of the question were in the affirmative (that the Government understood that the Wailing Wall question would be discussed at the Conference).
I have no reason, he went on, to apprehend that attempts will be made to stir up religious feelings against either Jews or Christians, and as the result of enquiries made of the High Commissioner for Palestine, I am assured that the Mufti, who has issued the invitations for the Congress, realises his responsibilities, and is anxious to conduct the Congress in such a manner as to cause no embarrassment to His Majesty’s or the Palestine Administration.
Is Sir Robert aware, Colonel Wedgwood pursued, that one of the visitors to this Conference is bitterly opposed to British rule?
Is it not a fact that the putting of these questions in the House of Commons makes the Administration of Palestine far more difficult, Mr. P. T. H. Hannon, Conservative member for the Mosley division of Birmingham put in, and Mr. A. C. Crossley, Conservative member for Oldham, followed this up by asking Sir Robert to bear in mind the very serious effect that any steps taken against that Congress would have on Moslem feeling in India.
May I ask, Colonel Wedgwood went on, whether Sir Robert has had from the Gazhi Kemal Pasha his views on that Conference.
No answer was given to any of these questions.
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