Great Britain, seeking to strengthen the hand of Emir Abdullah in an Arab world faced with unrest, is expected to partition Palestine, according to a London dispatch to the New York Times.
The dispatch, stating Ibn Saud’s health is understood to be unsatisfactory, King Ghazi of Iraq has not firmly established his authority, and other factors foreshadow possible “chaos through the Arabian peninsula,” continues:
“In these circumstances there are distinct signs of a British desire to strengthen the hands of Emir Abdullah, ruler of Transjordania who has shown himself amenable to influence and is well advised by a group of capable British officials. The idea is to have at least one friendly Arab State sufficiently powerful to assume leadership in a disputed Arab world. The for oncoming position on the enquiry commission is likely to be the occasion for a move in Transjordania for a permanent settlement in Palestine.
“It is generally expected that the majority of the commission will report in favor of partition of the Holy Land into a larger Jewish estate and smaller Arab territory. It would be natural to add this last to Emir Abdullah’s existing domain.
“There is believed to be no difficulty about insuring that it would be accompanied by a military convention giving the British Army and air force effective control of the territory. The British could then await developments with comparative equanimity.”
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