London Determined to Restore Order

Official circles today stressed the Government’s determination to restore order in Palestine before proceeding with any new plans for a solution of the problem, but at the same time emphasized that this did not mean that the government was not considering the political aspects of the situation in the interim. Alarmist reports on the present situation were deprecated and it was denied that a “state of Imperum in Imperio” (state within a state) had been organized by the Arab Bandsmen. Confidence was expressed that the British military forces would soon smash the revolt and regain full mastery.

While it was definitely known that the Government had not yet made up its mind on the final form of the Palestine solution, pending the Woodhead Commission’s report, the nature of the report and Government tendencies were arousing increasing concern in Jewish Agency circles. It was learned that speakers at a closed meeting of the executive committee of the Agency’s British section last night indicated that the most that could be expected from the Woodhead report was an approximation of the Peel Commission’s partition proposal. It was considered likely, however, that the Woodhead Commission would report that it had not found any practicable scheme of partition.