News Brief

(Jewish Telegraphic Agency Mail Service)

The Colonial Office issued yesterday the following statement:

“In view of the change which has taken place in the situation in Palestine and Trans-Jordan within the last five years, it has been decided, on the recommendation of the High Commissioner for Palestine, to reorganize the military and police forces in those territories on a more economical basis.

“The principle has been adopted that a clear distinction as regards functions and organization must be made between the forces to be employed on normal police duties and those whose functions are military.

“The following are the forces hitherto employed by the Palestine and Trans-Jordan Governments: (a) the Palestine Police Force; (b) the Palestine Gendarmerie, divided into two Sections, viz., a dismounted British Section and a mounted Palestinian Section, and (c) the Arab Legion in Trans-Jordan.

“Under the reorganization both Sections of the Palestine Gendarmerie are being disbanded, but five officers and some 200 men of the British Section, and two officers and some 250 other ranks of the Palestinian Section, will be re-engaged for service with the Palestine Police Force, the establishment of that force being increased accordingly. The Arab Legion is also being disbanded, and a police force is being created in Trans-Jordan, the personnel of which will be recruited from suitable members of the Legion. The remainder of the Palestinian Section of the Gendarmerie will form the nucleus of a military force to be called the Trans-Jordan Frontier Force, which it is proposed to raise mainly for service in Trans-Jordan. The establishment will be completed by the enlistment of surplus personnel of the Arab Legion. The force will be officered by serving British regular officers seconded from the Army or Royal Air Force. British Staff Sergeants and Sergeants required to complete establishment will be attached from the Regular Army.

“Statements to the effect that Jews are to be excluded altogether from the Frontier Force are inaccurate. A certain number of Jewish gendarmes, now serving in the Palestinian Section of the Gendarmerie, have already been selected for enrollment in the new force. As, however, the Frontier Force is primarily intended for service in Trans-Jordan, the number of Jews in its ranks will not be great. The remaining Jewish personnel in the Gendarmerie have been offered transfer to the enlarged Palestine Police Force.

“The British Cavalry Regiment recently stationed in Palestine has been withdrawn and will not be replaced.

“The general effect of the reorganization will be to reduce the total strength of the Forces in Palestine and Trans-Jordan. No vacancies will be created for British personnel with the possible exception of a few Regular Army Officers, Warrant Officers or Non-Commissioned Officers.”

MLLE. NORDAU TENDERED FAREWELL RECEPTION TODAY

A farewell reception to Mlle. Maxa Nordau, the distinguished French artist, who has been visiting this country for the past few weeks, will take place this evening at Town Hall, New York. Mlle. Nordau will speak on her impressions of America.

Jacob Ben-Ami, George Jessel, Miss Jeane Barondess, Fanny Brice and Mischa Mischakoff are among those who will appear on the program.

The committee in charge consists of David Belasco, honorary chairman; Jacob Fishman, chairman; Samuel Blitz, secretary.

More than five hundred persons attended funeral services Tuesday for Aaron Moses, retired shoe manufacturer and long known as “the grand old man of the Free Sons of Israel.” Mr. Moses died at the age of eighty-one. He was the father of Benjamin Moses, of the New York Local School Board, No. I.