Post-war Reconstruction Plan for Palestine Announced by Government

The Palestine Government today announced a sweeping post-war reconstruction plan for Palestine and appointed Sir Douglas Harris, chairman of the Palestine War Supply Board, as special commissioner to put the plan into effect “within the space of a few years.”

Details of the plan, as announced by the Palestine High Commissioner, Sir Harold MacMichael, provide for reconstruction activities in the fields of public works, education, care for sick, insurance against disabilities or ill-health, as well as irrigation, drainage and private building. They also indicate that the Palestine administration intends to deal with the problem of post-war unemployment and is considering the possibility of introducing some government control over private industries.

The project will be financed either by funds from local Palestinian sources or by money borrowed in London, the High Commissioner stated. He warned, however, that limitations can be expected in securing any funds from London, since countries which in the present war suffered less than others, as is the case with Palestine, will also receive less financial support from England for their post-war reconstruction needs.

JEWS READY TO COOPERATE IF WHITE PAPER POLICY IS ABOLISHED

Jewish leaders here today stated that they will be only too glad to cooperate with Sir Douglas, providing that the post-war reconstruction work will not be conducted along the lines of the White Paper policy of the British Government, which restricts the Jewish acquisition of land and stops Jewish immigration into Palestine next spring.

In a radio broadcast today, the High Commissioner expressed the hope that the Jews “will doubtless be ready to cooperate” in the study of post-war problems which the office of Sir Douglas will undertake. “The Jewish community,” he said, “has already done much along the lines of social security. The Arabs are less provided for. There is much to do.” He emphasized that Palestine is essentially an agricultural country and pointed out that “the need for constructive work by and in behalf of the rural population is at least as great as in the towns.”

“The precise scope and pace of the reconstruction must remain uncertain for the present, but to neglect planning at this stage is to accept defeat or relegate any sort of progress to a dim, vague and distant future,” Sir Harold declared. At the same time he expressed hope that the reconstruction project will be carried out within “a few years.”

Touching on the problem of post-war unemployment, the High Commissioner said that this problem will be “inevitably serious” at the time of the demobilization of Palestine’s man power. It’s solution will have to be bound up with the post-war reconstruction scheme, he said. With regard to Palestine’s industry, he indicated that only those industries will be selected for “encouragement and protection” which have a good chance to survive under local conditions and in the face of foreign competition.