Palestine High Commissioner, in New Year Broadcast, Calls for Redoubled War Effort

Residents of Palestine, of all ages and in all walks of life were called upon today to redouble their efforts in “field, factory, offices, canteen, hospital and everywhere” in order to make the greatest contributions to the Allied war effort, in a New Year’s day broadcast by Sir Harold MacMichael, British High Commissioner for Palestine.

Addressing himself to “members of the auxiliary services, the Red Cross, the home guards, the fire brigades the ARP wardens, the workers in the auxiliary transport service, engineers, artisans, administrators, clerks, scholars and ploughmen,” the High Commissioner declared that all are workmen “in the highest and noblest sense of the word.” Lauding the soldiers from Palestine and Transjordania who have fought “with great gallantry on three continents and suffered heavy losses,” Sir Harold stated that the war has so far touched the people of Palestine very lightly. “This is all the more reason to redouble our efforts to render such service as we can and make whatever sacrifices are called for,” he emphasized.

Pointing out that there are several ways of helping to win the war and mobilizing the greatest Palestinian war effort, the High Commissioner assailed “profiteers and hoarders, who are the meanest of fifth columnists.” They are “dangerous and must be dealt with according to their wretched deserts,” he stated. He appealed to all citizens and to local administrative bodies to assist in the task of stamping out profiteering.

Workshops and factories were asked to produce even greater quantities of goods at a greater speed and an even wider range of articles and commodities needed for the prosecution of the war. “We are well fitted for this,” the British administrator said, “because few countries have so high a proportion of scientists and skilled technicians.” He also asked for increased production of food.