The Palestine Inquiry Commission is expected to conclude it sessions before the end of December, Undersecretary for the Colonies, Drummond Shiels, stated in the House of Commons, in reply to Frank Smith, who also inquired as to whether Shiels was satisfied that the local Palestine administration was capable of maintaining order and insuring security of life and property to the inhabitants, pending the Commission’s report.
Shiels replied that he is satisfied that the local Government is capable of maintaining order, but that it is impossible to guarantee that no isolated instances of offences against life and property will occur. He also stated that he could not say when the report of the Commission would be completed.
In response to another question Shiels again assured the House that compensation to the victims of the recent riots would be charged upon the Palestine government and not upon the British taxpayers. He would not, he said, be able to state the nature of defence which would be used for the colonies in the future, because the matter is now under consideration. Those Jewish colonies who had kept their arms still retained them, he said. He could not guarantee an exposition of the plan of defence before Christmas, as suggested by Col. Wedgwood, (Continued on Page 3)
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
