The Arabs and the Royal Commission The Royal Commission on
the Palestine Mandate, a particularly competent body, reached Jerusalem on Wednesday, to be .greeted with the news that the Arabs had decided to boycott the Commission completely. Such a decision has precedents, notably in the attitude of Egyptians towards the Milner Commission in 1919 and of large sections of Indians towards the Simon Commission nine years later, but in neither case did the Commission find any difficulty in framing a valuable report. The Arabs will do well, in their own interests, to reconsider a decision which was avowedly taken as a form of protest against the Government's announce- ment that Jewish immigration would continue on a restricted scale. The strike, as an attempt to get immigration stopped, failed. The maintenance of the boycott only means that the Arabs' case, in whose strength -they profess so much confidence, will not be put before the Commission, or put only at secondhand. Palestine is by no means settled, and Jewish shopkeepers are still being boycotted by Arabs, as was no doubt to be expected. In such circumstances the Commission's right policy is clearly to proceed systematically with its work. There is plenty of material available, whether the Arabs decide to state their case or let it go by default.
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