We, however, do not want Syria, but we do want to see a strong and settled Arab state in these strictly Arab regions, and I sincerely hope that our Statesmen will be wise enough, and energetic enough, to bring about such a desirable consummation. If we permit the Bolshevists and Turks to oust us from our friendship with the Jews and Arabs, and with King Hussein and his son the Emir Feisal (now the King of Irak), upon whom we have alternately blown hot and cold, just as it pleased France to pipe the tune then we shall witness the beginning of the end of our power and prestige in the Orient. My trip to G.H.Q. was not quite in vain, for just before we left Egypt sanction was given to enlist Palestinian volunteers. I sent to Judæa a specially trained recruiting party, all fluent Hebrew speakers, under the command of Lieutenant Lipsey, to report to Major James de Rothschild of the 39th Battalion, who was the officer appointed to supervise this work in Egypt and Palestine. The response to Major de Rothschild's appeal was enthusiastic--in fact his chief trouble was to keep out grey-beards and unfledged youths, so eager were all to join up. Lieutenant Lipsey had some difficulty in keeping his end up in Jerusalem, where there were many anti-Zionists, but finally he worsted his opponents and emerged triumphant with nearly 1,000 recruits. The following is a translation of the Hebrew recruiting poster sent throughout Palestine at this time:-- HEAR, O ISRAEL! Hear! What does your heart prompt you to do? Shall we not reclaim our heritage and establish its possession in the eyes of the world? Hearken! What does your reason say to you? The British are fighting here before our eyes, and shall we remain in our houses until they return from the battle to give us our country which they have redeemed with their blood? Hearken! What does your honour and conscience dictate? Is it possible for us to accept from the hands of our righteous redeemers such an offering of blood? Shall not we too, together with them, offer our lives for our country? HEAR, O ISRAEL! The blood of our heroic forefathers, the blood of the British who fight for us this day, and the blood of the martyrs, cry unto us from this sacred ground. ENLIST! ENLIST! Shoulder to shoulder, together with our saviours, to the battle let us go. And salvation is with the Lord. BE STRONG! CHAPTER VIII. THE FEAST OF THE PASSOVER. At this time G.H.Q. was situated at a place called Bir Salem (the Well of Peace), ten miles to the east of Jaffa, and as, after my interview, I had the whole day before me, I borrowed a motor-car and paid a flying visit to Jerusalem, some thirty miles away to the eastward. I will not attempt to describe here what I felt as I approached the Holy City, along the winding road which leads up to it through the rocky Judæan mountains.