Leading Arab Chieftains Ask Permission to Sell Transjordan Land to Foreigners

Permission to sell Transjordan land to foreigners is requested in a petition signed by twenty-one of the most influential Transjordan trible leaders and members of the Legislative Assembly, which has been submitted to the Palestine Government and Emir Abdullah.

The petition emphasizes that the precarious condition of the country calls for such action.

The petition, which was drawn up following a meeting of Arab chieftains, in Amman, adds a new chapter to the Transjordan matter which was apparently closed on January 25th when Emir Abdullah announced the cancellation of an option he had granted to a Jewish company for the lease of 70,000 dunams of his personal domain in Transjordan.

The Arab chieftains at their meeting in Amman discussed Emir Abdullah’s communique announcing the cancellation of the lease to Jews. The majority of those present, however, found that the sale of land to Jews is the only solution for the present acute situation.

Seventy percent of the cattle owned by the Arabs in Transjordan have perished from starvation, it was stated.

Nahum Sokolow, president of the Jewish Agency; Dr. Chaim Arlosoroff and Emanuel Neumann, members of the Jewish Agency Executive in Jerusalem have held an important conference with the High Commissioner, Sir Arthur Grenfell Wauchope, and with the chief secretary of the Palestine Government, it is learned.

The prevailing opinion now is that Arab-Jewish co-operation in Transjordan is imminent, if there is no political interference from the outside.

In this connection it is recalled that the pressure exerted by the Palestine government, as well as the opposition of Arabs outside of Transjordan was responsible for the cancellation of the lease, the announcement of which had been creating a stir for several weeks.