Says Mandates Body’s Report Does Not Encourage Respect for Mandatory Powers

Telling the Mandates Commission that it has done no small disservice to the cause of the type of international institution with which it is concerned, the “Daily Telegraph,” in an editorial commenting on the report of the Mandates Commission on the 1929 Palestine outbreak together with the minutes of its extraordinary session in June, says that the report cannot encourage respect for the authority of the Mandatory powers among those with whose government they seem to be entrusted “if their conduct of that responsibility is to be subject to captious, imperative criticism expressed in the tone of a schoolmaster”.

Pointing out that there is “no evident reason why the Mandates Commission should display, in dealing with the Palestine outbreak, a more reproving tone than has been taken by it previously”, the “Daily Telegraph” refers to troubles “even more serious” which have occurred in other mandated territories. The “Daily Telegraph” says that the Mandates Commission “might note the fact that at the time when the Arabs across the Syrian frontier of Palestine were in fierce revolt against the Mandatory Power, Palestine was absolutely tranquil as it has been since the brief explosion of race antagonism of last year”.

Continuing with its defence of the British government, the “Daily Telegraph” says that the Shaw Commission “investigated fully the facts of the outbreak and pointed out with precision the weakness in the organization for preserving peace; a defective Intelligence Service, premature weakening of the garrisons, disbandment of the British gendarmerie and the license allowed to a mischievous press. That frank admission of default together with the complete pacification of the country since the defects named have been made good might have been expected to save us the experience of being lectured on behalf of the League of Nations on precisely those points to which attention had been drawn by the Shaw Commission.

“The Mandates Commission’s report adds certain vague generalities to our failure to bring about peaceful cooperation between the Jews and the Arabs by means of constructive policy, as if the work done with respect to communications, education, sanitation, reform of the courts and many other matters were valueless, or as if ### were in the power of any but the Jews and Arabs themselves to bring about a change of heart in their relationship.

“The plain truth is that the Palestine Administration, like others, can make mistakes. It understands its task far better than its critics and the British government in replying to these unnecessary strictures may ask why no word regarding objection to its general policy and conduct has been uttered by the Mandates Commission before.”