Secret Report to League of Nations Now Made Public with British Rejoinder to Criticism London, Aug. 25.
'The' report of the League of] tions Mandates Commission on the issued to-day simultaneously with the observations of the British Gigverument. on the report.
"The Commission expresses the opinion that the Arab outbreak was partly intended to resist the British rolley in carrying out their mandate, It also expresses the opinion that Jack of insight on the part of the Adn: inistration and the absence of proper precautions, owing to inadethuate forces, was largely responsible for the loss of many lives.
The. Commission. recognizes the dlicagy of the position but regrets, on certain points, the Mandatory Power has not yet succeeded in gi ing full effect to all the provisions of, the Mandate, The report expresses the opinion that the fears of the Arabs regarding their economic future, avo ed by Fepeated sales of land to the! ews, would have been largely allayed by a Government agricaltural polley to increase the cultivable area and to instruct Arabs in modern methods' of cultivation.
The-report of the Commission de-stares the Mandatory must obviously return a categorical and definite re-Fsal to all sections of the population which, by rebelling against the Man-Gate, make the task of the tory particularly dificult, adding hat the League of Nations entitled to expect the inhabitants of Palestine to recognize, in, fairness, the merits of the system, the inter: national bases of which they are] of in a position to challenge.
"The observations of the British reinment on the repor the Commission appears disposed to failure in establish regime of self-government in me and that, generally speaking, the Commission does not all into question the conceptions of the Mandatory Power as regards future policy.
The Government protests against the procedure of the Commission in basing much of its criticism on ex-atte statements, Tt feels that the! Commission's grounds for believing that the Arab outbreak was meditated und directed. against. the British are scarcely 'The Government vince 1921, Great Britain provided over $9,000,000 to assist the Palestine Government and further guaianteed a Loan of £4,500,000 in 1927) for expenditure on' public works. Therefore the Government claims that it has not been neglectful of its obligations.—Reuter.
Geneva, Aug. 25.
The publication of the hitherto secret report of the League of Nations Mandate Commission Palestine confirms the rumours that the report was highly critical rexarding the British administration und that implicitly it. saddled the latter with the responsibility for th riots. The report is divided i three parts whereof the first ix a ymmentary en the nature of the acial conflict in Palestine, the out-Vreak of the actual riots and the {titude and conduct of the Man. tatary Power before and during the Fiots. The second part deals with the measures taken to restore "and maintain order and the third with ihe policy to be followed in Palestine in the future, It, says that the troubles eaninot regarded as having arisen soi-only in a serene political atmos phere but that they were preceded a series of seaming incidents of which the Wailing Wall was -the vent ye and which ought to have hewn that the prevalent nervous-ress amongst the population was apt lead to an early explosion, Never. heles certain reservations are made the report concerning the premeditated nature of the riots while the Commission is, not satisfied that the merciful view: taken by the of the British commission the attitude of the Arab leaders is justified.
Furthermore the report holds that the limited number of British troops and the inadequacy of the police force were the principal causes of the spreading of the trouble. "The commission cannot conceal its regret that in certain respects the Mandatary Power has hitherto failed in the execution of its Mandate.
At the same time the reproach ix feyellot arainsé the Butt" Govern ment that it did not carry out its obligation of encouraging the creation of a national home for the Jews and that it felled to assure conditions essential to the development of a national centre for the [Jewish race, namely security for life and property.
"The Commission holds that, the Mandatory Power might well have jeceeded in reconciling the interests lof the various elements of the Pales-ne population and, by studying the economic problems of the' country, might have brought the two elements into close relationship and thus have contributed to a fusion of their interests whereby at the same time their antagonism would have been removed." The report finally rejects the demand for a free government] {for Palestine and expresses the hope that the necessity to act against} hostile elements will not prevent the Palestine administration from carryimg out with more vigour a really Jeonstructive programme. The steps taken to prevent further disturbances fully approved by the commis-
The British Government's rejoinder to the Commission's report which} was published here simultaneously] Jefends the policy of the Palestine administration.
Tt points out thal duction of the British military! forces in Palestine was carried on the advice of the High Commi sioner "to where knowledge of the country was added the experience of a distinguished military career" find that this reduction of the armed {forces had the advantage of making! available for the country's development funds which would have other. wise been used for purposes of defence.
However, the reply admits that {in the light of the subsequent events the available forees proved inadeofer dealing with the "sudden and widespread disturbances." The British reply further reminds ¢he Commission that it was fully inform-don the strength of the forces stationed in the country and that} ft gave no indication that it considered those forces inadequate. It is further stated that Great Britain feels justified in adopting in Pales-stem which worked well elsewhere and which it still has! yeagon to hope will prove successful Palestine too. In. replying to the commission's aviticism of alleged neglect of obligations regarding the agricultural and other development, of the country, it is stated that any]
aiming at the development of take into account! the obligations imposed by the League's Mandate, The reply con-Indes with the regret that while! the report of the Commission contains a good deal of criticism, it completely ignores the good Palestine by the British Min.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.