British Mandate: A Survey of Palestine: Volume I - Page 46. November, 1938, The Royal Commission, the Partition Commission, and the White Paper of May, 1939.

CHAPTER II.

18th October Military Commanders were appointed in the various districts to assume the powers and duties hitherto vested in the respective District Commissioners, who then became political advisers to these Military Commanders". The garrison which had been strengthened in July from Egypt was further reinforced from England at the end of September, and on 19th October the Old City of Jerusalem was re-occupied by troops. Curfews were imposed on the whole country and travel by car and train in the rural areas was prohibited except under military pass. By the end of the year large-scale military operations had dislocated the rebel organization and had reduced the gangs to comparative impotence in the field; but terrorism and sabotage continued unabated.

There were 5 ,708 incidents of violence during the year, of which 986 were attacks on police or military, 651 attacks on Jewish settlements and quarters, 331 bomb throwings, 215 abductions, 720 attacks on telegraph communications, 341 incidents of sabotage of railways and roads, 104 punctures of the pipeline and 430 assassinations and attempted assassinations. The casualties from terrorist and gang activities were as follows :-

Killed Wounded
British 77 216
Jews 255 390
Arabs 503 698
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Total 835 1,204 The number of Arab rebels killed by military and police action was conservatively estimated at not less than 1,000. The military courts tried. 382 persons during the year and 54 death sentences were confirmed by the General Officer Commanding. The number of persons interned was 2,543 of whom 2,463 were Arabs.

During the year the British staff of the District Administration was increased by twelve officers on secondment from other colonial dependencies and the Sudan.

9th November, 1938.

The report of the Partition Commission was presented to Parliament and published **. In this report three alternative plans (that of the Royal Commission's report, plan A, and two others
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*The Defence (Military Commanders) Regulations, Laws of 1938, Vol. III, page 1361. (Replaced in 1945, by Regulations at page 1062 of Gazette No. 1442 of 27.9.45).

** Cmd. 5854.