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New High Commissioner to Be Announced Soon

December 2, 1937
See Original Daily Bulletin From This Date
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A NEW BRITISH HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR PALESTINE WILL BE ANNOUNCED SHORTLY, COLONIAL SECRETARY WILLIAM ORMSBY-GORE TOLD COMMONS TODAY, TO SUCCEED SIR ARTHUR GRENFELL WAUCHOPE, WHO IS RESIGNING EARLY IN 1938.

THE GOVERNMENT, IT WAS LEARNED UNOFFICIALLY, HAS DECIDED TO APPOINT A CIVILIAN TO THE POST IN ORDER TO AVOID CLASHES ON MILITARY POLICY BETWEEN THE HIGH COMMISSIONER AND THE COMMANDER OF BRITISH ARMED FORCES IN PALESTINE, WHO IS NOW MAJOR-GENERAL ARCHIBALD P. WAVELL.

THIS DECISION ELIMINATES FROM CONSIDERATION FIELD MARSHAL SIR PHILIP CHETWODE, WHO HAD BEEN MENTIONED IN SOME QUARTERS IN CONNECTION WITH THE APPOINTMENT, ALTHOUGH HIS ADVANCED AGE-HE IS 68-WOULD BE ANOTHER OBSTACLE TO HIS BEING NAMED. SIR JOHN ANDERSON, FORMER GOVERNOR OF BENGAL, IS ALSO DEEMED OUT OF THE RUNNING BECAUSE HE IS BELIEVED WORN OUT BY HIS SERVICE IN INDIA AND NEEDS RECUPERATION.

THERE IS DEEP DISAPPOINTMENT IN OFFICIAL CIRCLES AT WHAT IS REGARDED AS THE BAD DETERIORATION OF THE POSITION IN PALESTINE DURING THE PAST FEW YEARS. FOREIGN PROPAGANDA, ESPECIALLY OVER ITALIAN RADIO, IS HELD LARGELY RESPONSIBLE, BUT IT IS AN UNDOUBTED AND UNFORTUNATE FACT THAT THERE IS A FIXED IMPRESSION THAT THE “LARGE AMOUNT” OF JEWISH IMMIGRATION DISTURBED THE ARABS TO SUCH AN EXTENT THAT IT HAS SPREAD UNEASINESS AMONG BRITISH AUTHORITIES.

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