British Commons Passes Palestine £4,500,000 Loan Bill in Second Reading

(Jewish Telegraphic Agency)

The bill authorizing the Exchequer to endorse the Palestine and East African loans was passed by the House of Commons yesterday in its second reading.

The discussion which developed in the House was devoted mainly to the African loan, although the Palestine loan was also touched upon in the debate.

Col. Leopold H. Amery, Colonial Secretary, said that the Palestine loan was principally intended for the repayment of money already spent and also for the development of harbors and the purchase of the railway system from the British government. A progressive policy of development is being pursued in Palestine, the Colonial Secretary stated.

William Graham, former assistant finance minister in the Labor Government, declared that the Labor Party is not opposed to the loans. S. Saklatvala, Communist member of the House, introduced a resolution that the bill be rejected. Captain C. T. Foxcraft expressed his objection to the British government “favoring the imported Zionist Jew at the expense of the native Jew and Arab” in Palestine.

A strong note was injected into the debate by Col. Josiah Wedgwood, who urged the British Government to abandon its passive policy in Palestine and lend active assistance to the Jewish efforts in the country.

“I have just come back from Palestine where I have investigated the possibility of Jews and Arabs getting together. I have inquired whether the Arabs are suffering through the incursions of Jews. The only result of the Jewish immigration upon the Arabs in the towns was the increase in the standard wages of the workers in the towns and the raising of their cultural status.” Col. Wedgwood declared.

“The rich Arab effendis, who are generally Christians, are hostile to all immigration, Jewish and non-Jewish. They even want no Britishers, no western ways and no western population. They prefer a docile population. We cannot allow the development of the country to be checked because of a few reactionaries who prefer that Palestine be Asiatic rather than European.

“The Jews of the world are subscribing on a gigantic scale to the rebuilding of their homeland and we should recognize that in a practical way by making it easier for the Jews to acquire land, rebuild agriculture and industry there. We have entered into a joint contract to rebuild Palestine, but we have left it to the Jews to do everything and have remained content with having given the Balfour Declaration. In future there should be more cooperation in the upbuilding of the country,” Col. Wedgwood declared.