Palestine Problems Aired in House of Commons Debate

Palestine’s trade, finances and disturbances were the subject of considerable attention in the House of Commons today.

Prominent in the discussion was the question of empowering the Palestine Government to impose tariffs to curb dumping by Japan and Germany. Raising the question, Herbert G. Williams, Conservative, demanded a further inquiry into the constitutional relationship of Palestine to England.

Such an inquiry, Mr. Williams contended, was necessary since the Colonial Office, by extending to Palestine treaty benefits between England and foreign countries, recognized her as a part of the British Empire, while on the other hand the Treasury, by dealing to extend to Palestine imperial preference, treated her fiscally as a foreign country.

Replying, Colonial Secretary William Ormsby-Gore pointed out that commercial treaties between Britain and foreign countries were applied to Palestine with the concurrence of the Palestine Government since, under the mandate, England was entrusted with control of foreign relations of that territory. “This circumstance, however, does not affect the juridical difficulty standing in the way of extending to Palestine the benefits of imperial preference,” he added.

Initiating a debate on the cost of sending the British forces to Palestine last year, the Colonial Secretary stated the country’s financial position justified the Government in asking Palestine to pay the difference between maintaining the troops in England and the cost of their maintenance in the Holy Land.

The expedition to suppress the 1936 disorders cost Great Britain approximately $5,525,000, Mr. Ormsby-Gore informed Commons.

Discussing the Royal Commission which recently completed an inquiry into the disturbances, the Colonial Secretary declared its recommendations were bound to effect the financial as well as the political situation in Palestine.