Brodie Holds Arab Leaders Responsible for Disorders

Israel B. Brodie, president of the American Economic Committee for Palestine, arriving today on the Paris from the Holy Land, attributed recent disorders in Palestine to the agitation of Arab leaders and said Jewish leaders in Palestine believe the only way effectively to solve the problem of Arab-Jewish relations is to bring into Palestine another 500,000 Jews as soon as possible.

Mr. Brodie remained in Palestine three weeks and left April 9, about ten days before the disorders broke out, but he said that when he departed tension was already apparent and incitement had been carried on for some time. He is the first Jewish leader to return here from Palestine since the disorders began.

The primary purpose of his trip was to attend the London meeting of the board of Palestine Potash, Ltd., of which he is a founder and director, and he also conferred with the company’s executive in Palestine. He reported that work was beginning in earnest on the southern works of the Dead Sea project and that the outlook for the project was optimistic.

Mr. Brodie prophesied that the effects of recent disorders would only be to strengthen the determination of the settlers. The half million new settlers, he said, were needed to create an economic base for absorption of more people. He added, that to absorb such numbers, Palestine must proceed with rapid development of industry and agriculture.

Discussing the economic position in Palestine, Mr. Brodie said he believed a deflationary period accompanied by unemployment and credit contraction that followed the war scare had been checked.

“Unemployment is not general and is not increasing,” he said, “and the general credit situation is easing up. It is expected by competent authorities that with the relaxation of the war scare the tempo of development in building construction and in industry will be resumed.”