Secret and Confidential Despatches to Passfield, 30 Nov 1920; 3 Jan 1930-16 Aug 1931

folder

Held at the Weston Library

Folder that originally held telegrams, later labelled by Chancellor 'Secret and Confidential Despatches to Secretary of State, 1930 to 1931'. Comprises:

(fols. 1-6) about the future composition and organisation of the public security forces in Palestine and Trans-Jordan (Jordan), commenting on Air Vice-Marshal Dowding's appreciation of the situation, dated 25 Sep 1929, and the worsening political situation since that date, 3 Jan 1930
(fols. 7-25) about Chancellor's apprehensions that outbreaks would be repeated, with two enclosures: (1) a letter from the Palestine Zionist Executive, signed by Sacher, dated 30 Nov 1920, about alleged assaults on Jews, with detailed reports of 57 cases, and (2) a report from the Commandant of Police, Mavrogordato, dated 20 Dec 1929, about these representations, with an analysis of the cases, 4 Jan 1930
(fols. 26-28) part of a despatch from Chancellor containing the summary of his conclusions (see MSS. Brit. Emp. s. 284/20, MF 17, fols. 56-75), 17 Jan 1930
(fols. 29-33) about the Arab Delegation to London, enclosing a copy of a letter dated 22 Jan from the President of the Arab Executive, Musa Kazem al Husseini, listing the names of delegates appointed, 30 Jan 1930
(fols. 34-52) about the Arab Delegation, with (1) biographical notes on the six members, (2) notes of an interview with the Delegation on 28 Jan, and (3) minutes of a meeting on 27 Jan with the Vaad Leumi, who protested against the Mayor of Jerusalem, Ragheb Bay, being a member of the Delegation, 1 Feb 1930
(fols. 53-59) about the defence of Jewish colonies, with a copy of a Memorandum by Dowbiggin dated 10 Feb about sealed armouries, and the impracticability of stationing a British constable in each colony possessing an armoury, Feb 1930
(fols. 60-63) about the provenance of Jewish immigrants into Palestine for the years 1922-1929, 1923-1929, and 1924-1929, Feb 1930
(fols. 64-68) about the recommendations of the Committee appointed to inquire into the economic condition of the fellahin, 21 Jun 1930
(fols. 69-79) about the operations in Galilee of the Green Hand Gang, which the authorities believed to be formed of absconded offenders and other criminal elements, and Chancellor's proposals to construct an all-weather road from Acre to Safad and to improve village tracks in order to facilitate the maintenance of order, 22 Feb 1930
(fols. 80-127) about the Land Question, and the proposed Bill to control the disposition of agricultural land in order to prevent the dispossession of the indigenous agricultural population, with copies of two Bills: (1) an Ordinance to establish control of certain dispositions of agricultural land, and (2) an Ordinance to amend the Protection of Cultivators Ordinance 1929. Also, a memorandum by the Solicitor-General, Drayton, explaining the intention of the Bills, and Notes on the Bills by the Attorney-General, Bentwich, and the Acting Chief Secretary, Mills, 29 Mar 1930
(fols. 128-139) about the control of frontier tribes, with recommendations concerning the Bedouin Control Board, the Arab Legion, and the establishment of intelligence posts, 25 Jun 1930
(fol. 140) note of transfer, 21 Jul 1930
(fols. 141-147) copy of a despatch from Passfield to the Officer Administering the Government of Palestine commenting on Chancellor's proposals concerning the allocation, as between British and Palestine funds, of the cost of the Trans-Jordan Frontier Force and of the Royal Air Force stationed in Palestine and Trans-Jordan (Jordan), 18 Jul 1930
(fols. 148-169) about the eviction of Arabs from the Wadi Hawareth lands, referring to Sir Spencer Davis's despatch of 7 Aug, with three enclosures concerning the Order of Eviction and subsequent negotiations between the government and representatives of the Jewish National Fund, 8 Nov 1930
(fols. 170-174) about the resolutions passed at an Extraordinary Conference of the Zionist Revisionists of Palestine regarding the postponement of the Zionist Congress and negotiations with the British Government, Feb 1931
(fols. 175-189) about the Memorandum of the General Council of Jews in Palestine on the position of the Jewish community in Palestine, giving Chancellor's detailed observations, with a note by the Commissioner of Lands, M.C. Bennett, on the Urban Property Tax Ordinance of 1928, 10 Feb 1931
(fols. 190-205) about the Report of the Wailing Wall Commission, enclosing the Draft Order-in-Council to enable the Government of Palestine to give effect to the findings of the Commission, with a memorandum by the Acting Attorney-General, Drayton, in explanation of its scope and object, 24 Apr 1931
(fols. 206-209) about the Protection of Cultivators Bill, 24 Apr 1931
(fols. 210-221) a review by Chancellor of the Garrison of Palestine, in reply to a request by the Secretary of State for information to be supplied to the Committee of Imperial Defence, 23 Jun 1931
(fols. 222-239) about the employment of Jewish labour on public works in Palestine, 23 or 25 Jul 1931
(fols. 240-256) about the constitutional development of Palestine and the establishment of a Legislative Council. Enclosed is a memorandum dated 27 Jul by the Acting Attorney-General, Drayton, on the number of Electoral Colleges to be constituted for the purpose of electing members of a Legislative Council, 16 Aug 1931.