The Problem of Palestine The declaration of the Palestine Arab
leaders, following the breakdown of Nuri Pasha's unofficial attempt at mediation, that the strike would continue until their aims had been achieved, was a challenge to authority which- the Mandatory Power could not ignore, and the despatch of military reinforcements is fully -justified. The reasoned statement in explanation of -this .action which- was issued by the. Colonial Office on Monday evening is a model of what such statements should be. The re-establishment of order in Palestine should not be long delayed. But a military solution is not permanent ; and it cannot be pretended that public opinion in this country will welcome, or tolerate indefinitely, a situation in which the Arab population of the -mandated territory must be held down by force of arms. The problem of reconciling the two parts of the mandate has, it must be frankly admitted, not yet been solved. This problem confronts the Royal Commission, which will proceed to Palestine as soon as order is re-established. A more radical solution than has hitherto been attempted is now a necessity ; and while nobody will wish to prejudge the result of the Commission's labours, evidence seems to be accumulating in favour of an attempt to reconcile rival and hitherto incompatible claims on a basis of regional separation.
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