13 NOVEMBER 1942, Page 13

LORD BALFOUR AND THE JEWS SIR, —Commenting on my article on

"Lord Balfour and the Jews," Mr. Landman regrets that I make no reference to the Balfour Declaration b^ving been " in the nature of a contract given for due consideration." I am, of course, aware that it has been so described, but never by Lord Balfour himself, and I investigated the matter to the best of my ability when I was writing his Life. This, of course, does not imply that the repercussions upon Jewish opinion all the world over were not taken into due consideration by the authors of the Declaration. Mr. Landman is correct in saying that British opinion was divided on the findings of the Peel Commission, but this was not the subject of my article.

Turning now to Miss Maude Royden's letter, unlike her I will not attempt to forecast the attitude of the Arabs after an Allied victory opens the way to a fresh political settlement of the Middle East. But I am more hopeful than she that Arab nationalism will not continue to take the extreme and violent forms which she appears to contemplate as normal, but which are not entirely representative of moderate Arab opinion even in Palestine itself.—I am, Sir, yours, &c.,