The British government takes sharp issue with the Permanent Mandates Commission for its criticism of the conduct of the British administration in Palestine during the riots in a summary of the British reply published here today in the “London Daily Telegraph.” The official release of the reply will not take place before Monday.
“For months prior to the riots,” reads the reply, “the Mandates Commission was considering the annual report of the Palestine Government, yet the Commission did not warn the Mandatory power of the danger it was incurring.” The British Government voices its indignation, therefore, that the Commission should so sharply criticize the British Administration in Palestine after the riots.
Pointing out that the reduction of forces in Palestine was carried out at the advice of a High Commissioner whose knowledge of the country was accompanied by experience acquired during a distinguished military career, that the reduction was in the direction of establishing the civil government on more normal lines and that it had the advantage of making available for the development of the country funds which would otherwise have been expended on defense, the British Government admits that “in the light of subsequent events it cannot be denied that the forces immediately available for defence of the country were inadequate to deal with the sudden and widespread disturbances that occurred.”
KNEW STRENGTH OF FORCES
The Mandates Commission, however, the British reply points out, was “fully informed regarding the strength of the forces stationed in Palestine and when the Commission considered the report on Palestine only a month prior to the outbreaks it gave no indication that those forces were regarded as inadequate.” It is difficult, the British answer states, in the light of subsequent events, to construe any statements in the report of the Mandates Commission on the annual British report as a serious warning against the danger of an inadequate garrison.
In reference to the charge of the Mandates Commission that, “as might have been expected in a country where explosions of a religious and racial nature have constantly threatened public peace there was a defection on the part of the native contingent as soon as the rioting brought the two races into conflict,” the British reply points out that the Mandatory power is unaware of the grounds on which the Mandates Commission “regarded such a result as to be expected.”
The Mandates Commission has all along known the composition of the Palestine police, says the British reply, and of the various changes that had been made. If it was to be expected that such a force would prove unreliable when tested “it is to be regretted that the Mandates Commission had not warned the Mandatory Power of the danger it was incurring.”
NATIVE POLICE BRITISH POLICY
To maintain order in a territory by a police force from which the inhabitants of that territory are excluded, is, the British reply insists, a policy which the British Government, in the light of its long and various experience is unable to view with favor. It is open to objection, continues the reply, on political, administrative and financial grounds.
The British Government, the reply states, feels that it was justified in adopting in Palestine “a system which had been attended with success in many other territories and which it still has reason to hope will be successful in Palestine.”
Replying to the criticism of the Mandates Commission that the Mandatory Power had neglected its obligations towards the Arabs as regards agricultural and other development of the country, the British Government points out that any policy of development in Palestine must take account of the obligations imposed by the Mandate.
“If account is taken of the general conclusions,” states the British reply,” the British Government feels that it may justly be claimed that it has not been neglectful of its obligations in regard to development. No reference is contained in the report of the Mandates Commission to the development work which has already been accomplished in Palestine, in connection with developing and improving the conditions there. Previous to its latest report the Mandates Commission had at no time expressed dissatisfaction with the progress obtained,” concludes the British reply.
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.
