The Handbook of Palestine/Preface
PREFACE
The Handbook of Palestine has been written and printed during a period of transition in the administration of the country. While the book was in the press the Council of the League of Nations formally approved the conferment on Great Britain of the Mandate for Palestine; and, consequent upon this act, a new constitution is to come into force, the nominated Advisory Council will be succeeded by a partly elected Legislative Council, and other changes in the direction of greater self-government, which had awaited the ratification of the Mandate, are becoming operative. Again, on the 1st July, 1922, the administrative divisions of the country were reorganized. The editors of the Handbook have endeavoured, to the best of their ability, to keep pace with these changes and to make the work as up-to-date as possible; but, in view of the difficulties with which they have been faced in this connexion, they ask the indulgence of their readers if, at times, events have moved faster than the printer.
They desire gratefully to acknowledge the assistance that has been so readily placed at their disposal. In the first place they wish to thank the High Commissioner for the encouragement he has given them in their task, and for being good enough to contribute the introduction to the volume. They are also indebted in general to Governors and Heads of Departments, and in particular to Sir Wyndham Deedes, Mr. Ronald Storrs, Mr. N. Bentwich, Mr. J. B. Barron, Mr. J. N. Stubbs, Mr. G. Blake and other officials too numerous to mention here, who have kindly supplied them with information regarding their particular spheres. Several members of the Administration have helped, too, in matters outside their departmental work, and a debt of gratitude is due in particular to Colonel E. R. Sawer, Director of Agriculture, to Dr. W. K. Biggar, Messrs. I. Aharoni, E. Rabinovitch, and P. A. Buxton for the sections on Natural History; to Mr. E. T. Richmond for a valuable review of the Moslem architecture of Palestine, a task not previously attempted elsewhere; to Professor Garstang and Mr. W. J. Phythian-Adams for several notes. To Colonel R. B. W. Holmes, General Manager, Palestine Railways, they owe permission to use the map which is attached to the volume.
They are greatly indebted to Père H. Vincent, O.P., of the Ecole de S. Etienne, for the review of the Christian architecture of Palestine, and to Bishop MacInnes and Canon H. Danby for the paragraphs respectively on the Anglican diocese and on Judaism in Palestine after 70 A.D. Dr. C. R. B. Eyre, Sub-Warden of the Hospital of the Order of S. John of Jerusalem, has kindly contributed the section on the postage stamps of Palestine. Lt.-Colonel H. Pirie-Gordon's Palestine Pocket Guide-books have been consulted with advantage; and material help in connexion with the preparation of the volume for press has been received from Mr. A. G. Antippa of the Palestine Civil Service.
H. C. L.
E. K.-R.
Jerusalem,
September, 1922.