The importance which the British Government attaches to Palestine as a trading center for the entire Near-and-Middle East was emphasized here today by the opening of an impressive British commercial conference at which delegations from England, South Africa, the dominions, colonies, mandated territories and protectorates participated.
The conference was arranged by Lord Carlisle, director of the United Kingdom Commercial Corporation, for the purpose of extending and coordinating the British trade program for the Near East, the Middle East, the Far East and Africa. This is one of the largest trade conferences ever held in the British Empire. Representatives of Palestine, Iran, Iraq, Syria and Egypt are also participating in the conference.
The United Kingdom Commercial Corporation is at present engaged in blocking Germany’s attempt to win Turkey through economic concessions. The Corporation is supplying Turkey with huge shipments of war planes, locomotives, heavy machinery and war materials which Turkey has no chance of getting from Germany. In this way England hopes to keep Turkey’s territory closed to the German army and thereby prevent the development of a dangerous strategic situation for the Soviet front in the Caucusus as well as for Palestine and the British position in the Near East.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
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.