New Palestine Commission to Get Terms of Reference Soon, Commons Told

COLONIAL SECRETARY WILLIAM ORMSBY-GORE TODAY DISPELLED RUMORS THAT GREAT BRITAIN MIGHT POSTPONE INDEFINITELY THE SENDING OF A NEW ROYAL COMMISSION TO PALESTINE TO FRAME A CONCRETE PARTITION PLAN WHEN HE TOLD COMMONS THERE WOULD NOT BE ANY AVOIDABLE DELAY IN SENDING THE COMMISSION.

THE DETAILED CHARACTER AND THE TERMS OF REFERENCE OF THE COMMISSION WILL BE ANNOUNCED SHORTLY, MR. ORMSBY-GORE SAID IN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY GEOFFREY MANDER, LIBERAL. MEANWHILE, THE PALESTINE GOVERNMENT IS PREPARING DETAILS FOR THE COMMISSION’S USE, HE ADDED.

IN GENERAL, CONDITIONS IN PALESTINE ARE SOMEWHAT IMPROVED, MR. ORMSBY-GORE SAID IN REPLY TO A QUERY BY ANOTHER MEMBER OF THE HOUSE, ALTHOUGH SPORADIC ATTACKS CONTINUE AND SEVERAL GANGS ARE STILL OPERATING, INCLUDING A NUMBER OF PERSONS FROM OUTSIDE PALESTINE ACTING AS LEADERS AND ORGANIZERS. GOVERNMENT FORCES ARE OPERATING ACTIVELY IN THE NORTH AND ELSEWHERE TO COMBAT THE MURDER CAMPAIGN.

CASUALTIES SINCE NOV. 23, THE COLONIAL SECRETARY REPORTED, INCLUDE 10 ARABS KILLED AND FOUR WOUNDED, FIVE JEWS KILLED AND 27 WOUNDED, ONE BRITISH CONSTABLE KILLED AND ONE WOUNDED.

TWENTY-SIX ARABS HAVE BEEN TRIED BY MILITARY COURTS, ONE SENTENCED TO DEATH AND EXECUTED, THREE ACQUITTED AND OTHERS SENTENCED TO IMPRISONMENT FOR VARIOUS PERIODS. TWO ARABS WERE RECENTLY SENTENCED TO DEATH BY A CIVIL COurt.

REPLYING TO LABORITE JOSIAH WEDGWOOD, THE COLONIAL SECRETARY SAID £5,000 (ABOUT $25,000) HAD BEEN RECENTLY SPENT IN THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF PALESTINE FOR RELIEF, MAINLY PREVENTION OF AGRICULTURAL DISTRESS. COL. WEDGWOOD ASKED WHETHER HE WAS SATISFIED THAT THIS WAS NOT PAYMENT TO PREVENT ARABS FROM CUTTING TELEGRAPH WIRES. MR. ORMSBY-GORE REPLIED HE WAS CERTAIN THAT THE PAYMENT WAS IN THE INTEREST OF LAW AND ORDER.