Political report of the Executive of the Jewish Agency submitted to the ... Zionist Congress and the ... session of the Council of the Jewish Agency · 1937-08-01 · 8.1937 · p. Seite 139

139 assurance on the lines suggested had been given. Appointment of the Royal Commission : renewed fears of a suspension of Immigration : One of the last official acts of Mr. Thomas prior of his resignation was to announce on May 18th the Government's decision to appoint a Royal Commission on Palestine. Towards the end of July an announcement of the terms of reference and of the personnel of the Commission was made as follows:—- Terms of Reference: "To ascertain the underlying causes of the disturbances which broke out in Palestine in the middle of April; to enquire into the manner in which the Mandate for Palestine is being implemented in relation to the obligations of the Mandatory towards the Arabs and the Jews respectively; and to ascertain whether, upon a proper construction of the terms of the Mandate, either the Arabs or the Jews hav.: av:v legitimate grievances upon account of the way in which the Mandate has been or is being implemented; and if the Commission is satisfied that any such grievances are well-founded, to make recommendations for their removal and for the prevention of their recurrence." List of Members; The Right Honourable The Earl Peel, G.C.SJ. (Chairman) (Under- Secretary of State for War, 1919-21. Secretary of State for India, , 1922-24 and 1928-29). The Right Honourable Sir Horace George Montague Rumbold, Bart., G.C.B. (Vice-Chairman). (British Minister in Poland, 1919-20, Ambassador in Berlin, 1928-33). Sir Egbert Laurie Lucas Hammond, K.C.S.I., (Governor of Assam, 1927-32). Sir William Morris Carter, C.B.E., (Chief Justice of Uganda, 1919-20; Chief Justice of Tanganyika, 1920-24; served on Kenya Land Commission, 1932-33), Sir Harold Morris, K.C. (President of the Industrial Court since 1926 and Chairman of the National Wages Board for Railways since 1925). Professor Reginald Coupland, CLE. (Beit Professor of Colonial History at Oxford University since 1920). Secretary: Mr. J. M. Martin (of the Colonial Office). In connection with this announcement, a matter which greatly exercised the minds of the Executive both in London and in Jerusalem was the renewed possibility of a suspension of immigration, this time as a "temporary measure" during the work of the Royal Commission. The statement of the Colonial Secretary in the House of Commons on July 22, 1936, that, with regard to such a suspension of immigration he was not then in a position to make any statement as to the intentions of H, M, Government "beyond saying that their decision will be taken in due course on the merits of the case, and that there is no question of it being influenced by violence or attempts at intimidation," was hardly reassuring. Both before and