The Palestine Report
The Arabs and the Future of Palestine
Article Summary and Author Biography
H. ST.J. B. PHILBY, in charge of the British Political Mission to Central Arabia, 1917-1918; British Representative, Trans-Jordan, 1921-1924; traveler and explorer in Arabia; author of "The Heart of Arabia," "The Empty Quarter" and other works
THE Report of the Royal Commission on Palestine closes an episode for whose origins we have to go back nearly a quarter of a century. In 1913 Abdullah, second son of Sherif Hussein, the Emir of Mecca, was passing through Egypt on his way to Constantinople, where he and his younger brother Feisal represented the Hejaz in the Turkish Chamber of Deputies. Lord Kitchener, then British Agent in Egypt, took advantage of Abdullah's temporary presence at Cairo to pay him a semi-formal visit of courtesy. Accompanied by Mr. (now Sir) Ronald Storrs, the British Agent thanked the representative of the Hejaz for his father's kindness and consideration towards the pilgrims visiting Mecca from British India. Nothing more was said. A friendly foundation had been laid for future parleys. Abdullah hastened to inform the Turkish High Commissioner at Cairo of what had passed at an interview which was sufficiently unusual to occasion comment -- and suspicion...
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