A steady flow of Palestinian enlistments into units of the British army and Royal Air Force is being maintained, War Undersecretary Richard K. Law, declared in Commons, replying to a question as to the progress of recruiting. Recruiting for the Palestinian company of Pioneer Corps is also satisfactory, he said.
No Jews of non-Palestinian citizenship, however, are being recruited, according to a statement by Colonial Undersecretary George H. Hall in reply to another question. He said the High Commissioner was empowered to accept the services of any Palestinian citizens, irrespective of race, desiring to join the volunteer force.
“The strength of the forces will be determined from time to time by the High Commissioner, in accordance with the military requirements of the situation,” he added.
War Secretary David Margesson promised Sir George Jones examination of a request by the Jewish Soldiers’ Welfare Committee to provide teachers for numerous Jewish soldiers in Palestine anxious to learn English, in the interest of military efficiency and good personal relations with their superiors and comrades.
Hall announced that the High Commissioner was being asked to report on the Palestine labor situation and said he had no information such as stated by David Adams, who called attention to complaints that Palestine agricultural production was being curtailed because of a growing labor shortage. imams asked for additional immigration certificates for skilled workers declaring they were essential for the war effort and to relieve the seriousness of the situation.
Careful preparations made on the Palestine frontier before the Allied entry into Syria are described by a special correspondent of the Daily Mail who travelled from the coastal column across northern Palestine to join the forces advancing towards Damascus.
“I met sunburnt women in shorts and children evacuated from the outermost Jewish settlements along the frontier in Hanita and Kfar Giladi,” the correspondent said. “Here, behind stockades and sandbags tough pioneer menfolk of the self-contained agricultural colonies had been standing since Saturday night, prepared for any emergency.”
The correspondent revealed that innumerable newly-constructed strong points and three forts had to be taken directly north of the Jewish colony of Metullah.
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.
