credit of Trans-Jordan. No British forces are stationed in the country other than the Air Force, and the Arab Legion is a factor in the protection of the aerodrome, and therefore in the maintenance of the air route to Iraq, as well as in safeguarding the tranquillity of Palestine.

Provision has recently been made in the estimates of the Trans-Jordan Administration to meet expenses in connection. with the preservation of the important archaeological remains in Trans-Jordan. The assistance of the Director of Antiquities in Palestine and of his expert staff will be made available for this purpose.

A Report on Trans-Jordan, describing the situation in general and dealing in some detail with the various departments of the Administration will shortly be issued as a non-Parliamentary publication accompanying the Annual Report on Palestine for the year 1924. It is unnecessary, therefore, to dwell further upon these matters here.

EXTERNAL RELATIONS.

The Mandatory Area of Palestine has been able to maintain the friendliest relations with its neighbours to the north and south. A spirit of cordial co-operation has prevailed with the authorities of Syria. Some difficulty, it is true, was at one time experienced owing to the unwillingness or the inability of the Trans-Jordan Government to extradite persons who were charged with fomenting disturbances or committing other offences in Syria and who had taken refuge in Trans-Jordan; but that cause of friction was ultimately removed and no complaints on that score are now made. The many questions of detail that arise between Syria and Palestine from the existence of a common frontier are adjusted without difficulty, and a frequent interchange of visits between the frontier officers of the two territories, as well as between the principal officials of the Governments, maintains a close personal contact which ensures the smooth despatch of business.

The boundary line between the two areas was adjusted in April, 1924, in accordance with an Anglo-French Convention of March, 1923. An area of 75 square miles with 20 villages was brought within the frontiers of Palestine. It included the ancient district of Dan, and its addition re-established the Biblical boundaries of Palestine-" from Dan even unto Beersheba."

With Egypt also the most cordial relations have prevailed. The two Governments endeavour to meet each other's convenience in every way, and no occasion of friction has occurred.

I would take this opportunity of expressing my appreciation of the assistance rendered to the Palestine Railways by the Egyptian Government and its State Railway Department. The

systems in the two countries are necessarily in close relationship, and the help that was given from Egypt was of the greatest value to our new organisation. I trust that the Egyptian Railways will not fail themselves to derive benefits, both direct and indirect, from the growth of the tourist traffic to Palestine.

The Palestine Administration has derived a moral advantage from the international authority conferred by the League of Nations' approval of the Mandate, and much encouragement from the interest taken in its activities by the Permanent Mandates Commission of the League. It was one of the privileges of my term of office to have attended the session of the Commission, held in Geneva in October, 1924, and to have had the opportunity of furnishing information on those branches of the work of the Administration in which the members were specially interested.

CONCLUSION.

During the military occupation of Palestine the Administration was conducted, under the general direction of the Commander-inChief, Lord Allenby, by a Chief Administrator. This office was held successively by Brigadier-General Sir Gilbert F. Clayton, K.B.E., C.B., C.M.G., Major-General Sir A. W. Money, K.C.B., K.B.E., C.S.I., Major-General Sir H. D. Watson, K.B.E., C.B., and Major-General Sir L. Bols, K.C.B., K.C.M.G., D.S.O. By them and their staffs the foundations of the British régime were firmly laid. They were fortunate in enlisting the services of a number of able officials, many of whom have served continuously from then. Among these are several of the heads of the principal Departments: Mr. N. de M. Bentwich, O.B.E., M.C., the Attorney-General; Colonel C. W. Heron, D.S.O., O.B.E., the Director of the Department of Health; Mr. E. R. Sawer, the Director of the Department of Agriculture and Forests; Colonel R. B. W. Holmes, O.B.E., the General Manager of Railways; and Mr. W. Hudson, O.B.E., M.C., the Postmaster-General. Soon after the establishment of the Civil Administration Sir Thomas W. Haycraft was appointed Chief Justice; Mr. H. E. Bowman, C.B.E., Director of Education; Professor J. Garstang, D.Sc., Director of Antiquities; and Mr. C. H. Ley, O.B.E., Director of Surveys. These gentlemen also continue to preside over their respective Departments. The principal administrative office, that of Chief Secretary, was held for a period of nearly three years by Brigadier-General Sir Wyndham Deedes, C.M.G., D.S.O., and for the last two years by Brigadier-General Sir Gilbert F. Clayton, K.B.E., Č.B., C.M.G. The task of financial control was entrusted first to Mr. H. A. Smallwood, C.M.G., who was appointed temporarily as Financial Secretary, and since May, 1922, by Mr. S. S. Davis, C.M.G., as Treasurer. The head of the Department of Public Security, afterwards renamed the Department of Police and Prisons, was first the late Colonel P. B. Bramley, O.B.E., then

Major-General Sir H. H. Tudor, K.C.B., C.M.G. Since the latter's departure the officiating appointment has been held by Mr. A. S. Mavrogordato. The Department of Public Works has been successively under the direction of Colonel G. Gray-Donald, O.B.E., till February, 1922, of Major-General P. G. Grant, C.B., C.M.G., till September, 1923, and of Mr. H. B. Lees, M.C., since then. Mr. R. Harari was the first Director of the Department of Commerce and Industry; he was succeeded in November, 1920, by Lieut.-Colonel Harold J. Solomon, O.B.E., M.C., who held that office until the Department was amalgamated with that of Customs in October, 1923. Of the latter Department, Mr. J. B. Barron, O.B.E., M.C., was the first Director; he was succeeded in July, 1924, by Mr. K. W. Stead. Subsequently to the organisation adopted for the government at the outset, it was found necessary to establish three new posts, those of Auditor, Director of the Lands Department, and Geological Adviser. They have been held continuously, the first by Mr. H. S. Brain, the second by Mr. J. N. Stubbs, M.C., and the third by Mr. G. S. Blake. A heavy share of work and of responsibility has fallen upon the district staff, and particularly upon the District Governors. Under the military organisation immediately after the Occupation the country was divided into thirteen districts; this number was reduced to seven in 1919, to four on the establishment of the Civil Administration, and afterwards to three. The present District Governors are Sir Ronald Storrs, C.M.G., C.B.E., Lieut.-Colonel G. S. Symes, C.M.G., D.S.O., and Mr. Abramson, O.B.E.; the first-named has been in charge of the Jerusalem District since the capture of the city in 1917. The British Section of Gendarmerie was formed by Lieut.Colonel A. J. McNeill, C.B., D.S.O., the Palestinian Section by Lieut.-Colonel F. W. Bewsher, D.S.O., O.B.E., M.C., and the Arab Legion in Trans-Jordan by Lieut.-Colonel F. G. Peake, O.B.E. All three of these officers remain in command of the forces they have raised and trained. Lieut.-Colonel C. H. F. Cox, D.S.O., was the Governor of one of the Palestine Districts that was afterwards amalgamated; since the 1st April, 1924, het has been the Chief British Representative in Trans-Jordan.

The military command in Palestine has been filled successively by Major-General, now Lieutenant-General Sir John Shea, K.C.M.G., C.B., D.S.O., by Major-General Sir Philip E. Palin, K.C.M.G., C.B., by Major-General A. E. Wardrop, C.B., C.M.G., by Major-General Sir H. H. Tudor, K.C.B., C.M.G., and by Air Commodore E. L. Gerrard, C.M.G., D.S.O. Owing to their ready co-operation, the relations between the civil and military authorities have been at all times most satisfactory, and I do not recall a single case of friction having occurred. The District Governors have received much assistance from the heads of the principal municipal bodies, in particular from four who have held their offices throughout the period of five yearsRagheb Bey Nashashibi, C.B.E., the Mayor of Jerusalem, Assam

Bey al Said, O.B.E., the Mayor of Jaffa, Abderrahman Effendi el Haj, the Mayor of Haifa, and Mr. M. Dizengoff, O.B.E., the President of the Council of Tel-Aviv.

To all these gentlemen, and to their staffs, of all grades, British and Palestinian, civil and military, I would offer my thanks. It is upon them that the burden of the task has fallen. No administrator could desire more loyal or more efficient colleagues. The volume of the work that has been done, and the prevalence throughout of a spirit of friendly co-operation, speak more in their praise than could any words of commendation from me.

I trust that that work, accomplished under conditions sometimes of difficulty, will be considered in the retrospect not unworthy of the Land on whose behalf it has been done. It is my hope that it may perhaps be judged not unworthy also of the conceptions of duty which guide the policy of the Empire to whom in these latter days the guardianship of that Land has been entrusted.

I have the honour to be, Sir,

Your most obedient, humble servant,

HERBERT SAMUEL,

High Commissioner and Commander-in-Chief.

The following Official Publications relate to Palestine :Cmd. 1499, 1921. Interim Report on the Civil Administration of Palestine, 1st July, 1920-30th June, 1921.

Stationery Office Publication, Dec., 1922. Report on Palestine Administration, July, 1920-December, 1921.

Stationery Office Publication, July, 1923. Report on Palestine Administration, 1922.

Non-Parliamentary Publications: Colonial No. 5, 1924; Colonial No. 9, 1925. Report on Palestine Administration, 1923. Non-Parliamentary Publication: Colonial No. 12, 1925. Reports on the Administration of Palestine and TransJordan, 1924.

Cmd. 1195, 1921. Franco-British Convention of December 3rd, 1920.

Cmd. 1540, 1921.

Palestine Disturbances in May, 1921.

Reports of the Commission of Inquiry.

Cmd. 1700, 1922. Correspondence with the Palestine Arab Delegation and the Zionist Organisation.

Cmd. 1708, 1922. Miscellaneous No. 4. Mandate for Palestine. (Note in reply to Cardinal Gasparri's letter of May 15th, 1922, addressed to the Secretary-General of the League of Nations.)

Cmd. 1785, 1922. League of Nations: Mandate for Palestine. Cmd. 1889, 1923. Papers relating to the Elections for the Palestine Legislative Council, 1923.

Cmd. 1910, 1923. Agreement between His Majesty's Government and the French Government respecting the Boundary line between Syria and Palestine.

Cmd. 1989, 1923. Proposed formation of an Arab Agency; Correspondence with the High Commissioner for Palestine.

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