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Small though the likelihood is that such a short-sighted view should ever be forced upon British statesmen-who know the strategic value of the land of Palestine quite apart from that of the people-the issue of whether a great deal more money should be spent at once to protect Palestine Jews was sharply raised in London by-hard-featured, scrubby-bearded Dr. Chaim Weizmann, shrewd president of the World Zionist Organization. After an interview with Minister of Colonies and Mandates Baron Passfield (famed in his former style as Economist Sidney Webb), Dr. Weizmann gave correspondents to understand that the Cabinet would continue sternest measures to restore peace in Palestine, and might even dismiss Acting High Commissioner Harry Charles Luke, whom Zionists regard as chiefly responsible for allowing the situation to get out of hand. Subsequent intimations by Lord Passfield that Mr. Luke would not be dismissed did not alter the fact that the Acting High Commissioner had been superseded in authority by the return to Jerusalem last week of High Commissioner Sir John Chancellor. That Sir John presently received instructions to take an unmistakably pro-Jewish line was strongly suggested by the tone of his next proclamation at Jerusalem: "I have learned with horror of atrocious acts committed by bodies of ruthless and blood-thirsty evildoers, of savage murders perpetrated upon the defenseless members of the Jewish population regardless of age and sex, accompanied, as at Hebron, by acts of unspeakable savagery. . . . My first duties are to restore order in the country and inflict stern punishment upon those found guilty of the acts of violence. I charge all inhabitants of Palestine to assist me."
Holy War? Moslems mass-met and demonstrated violently against Jews last week in Syria, Transjordania, Irak and Arabia (see map). They shouted "Palestine for the Arabs!," jabbered of Holy War and of the booty to be got by plundering expeditions into Palestine. Syria is a protectorate of France but her civilized soldiers have never been able to quell the wild, rebellious Sultan El Atrash who lives in a mud palace high in the remote mountains and sallies forth on sporadic raids at the head of his hard-riding, fanatical Druse tribesmen. Last week the dread Atrash was reputed to be rampaging toward Palestine with 800 of his own horsemen and 2,000 Bedouins who recently joined his plundering banner.
Utterly different from bold Sultan El Atrash is the mild spoken little Amir Abdullah of Transjordania, a contented British puppet whose chief delight is in breeding priceless Arab steeds. Last week the Amir dutifully hastened across the River Jordan by means of Allenby Bridge, successfully dissuaded some 300 of his subjects who had set out minded to wage plunder in Palestine.
Another British puppet, paradoxically more potent than his elder brother Amir Abdullah, is King Feisul of Irak, inventor of a special headdress named after him. Of all the Arab lands in the Near East, melancholy King Feisul's seemed the least perturbed about Jews, though one band of Iraki tribesmen were said to be making their way secretly to Palestine.