§ 66. Sir G. Jeffreysasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies why martial law has been discontinued in Palestine although terrorism and outrages still continue; whether he will see that it is re-imposed and maintained in force until terrorism has been suppressed; and whether he will consider the imposition of collective fines on districts in respect of outrages committed within their limits.
Mr. Creech JonesStatutory martial law was imposed in consequence of the serious outrages of 1st March and was designed to facilitate action by the Army and Police against the terrorist groups responsible for these outrages. It was never expected that this action would in itself put an end to terrorism, although an appreciable number of members of the terrorist gangs were apprehended and much valuable information was gained for the purpose of future operations against them. Statutory martial law was discontinued as soon as the immediate object of the operation had been achieved. The question of future action must depend on the course of events.