Coll 5/84(4) ‘Middle East Summaries from Ministry of Civil Aviation’ [‎13r] (26/107)

/ seems
CIV. 8071
2
U. S. sources state that negotiations are also nearly complete for a
similar treaty with Syria. ^
48. As a background to this subject a brief history of the Arab
League may be of interest. In the latter half of 1943 and the first half
of 1944 the then Egyptian Prime Minister, Mustafa an - Nahhas Pasha An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders. , held
a series of conversations on Arab unity with representatives of other
Arab Governments. m preparatory committee met in Alexandria on
28th September 1944, which was attended by representatives of Egypt, Iraq,
Syria, Lebanon, Trans-Jordan, Saudi-Arabia, the Yemen and also a
representative of the Palestinian Arabs. On 7th October a Protocol was
signed by the first seven states. a Preparatory Committee met in Cairo
in February 1943 and again on 17th March, with representatives of all
the states mentioned above except the Yemen, On 22nd March the
representatives of Egypt, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Trans-Jordan and Saudi-
iirabia signed the "Pact of the ijrab League" at the first meeting of the
Plenary Arab Congress. A copy was sent to the Imam of the Yemen for his
adherence.
49« The object the League was to draw closer the relations between
member slates, to co-ordinate political action, to safeguard their
soveriegnty and to interest themselves generally in questions affecting
Arab countries; it provided also for co-operation in economic, financial,
cultural and social problems and questions affecting communications,
passports, extradition, etc. There was also a pact of non-agression.
The permanent seat of t le League is Cairo, where there is a permanent
Secretariat General. The Council meets in ordinary session twice a year.
Any member state can withdraw from the League after a year's notice and
the Council by unanimous vote can exclude any member-state which has not
fulfilled its obligations. The Pact can be modified by a two-thirds
majority. An annex to the Pact concerns Palestine: it declares that
Palestine since her liberation from Ottoman rile is T de jure* independent
(sic) and that a representative of Palestinian Arabs should participate
in the work of the League.
30. At the eleventh session of the Arab League Council it is reported
that thirteen of the articles included in the draft civil aviation
convention between member states were approved. It was further decided
to form a Civil Aviation Council to enforce the provisions of the convention
and to encourage closer co-operation between members: this Civil Aviation
Council should include two delegates from each of the member states and
two technical advisers (without a vote). It was also declared that,
aircraft should not be allowed to fly over the holy places in the
Hejaz except by special authorisation,
31. As a result of the enquiry set up to investigate the T.W.A,
pilots r strike of last autumn, the Pilots Arbitration Panel has ordered
increased rates of pay which it is estimated will cost T.YAA. about
$ 15,000 per month.
52. "Aeroplane", in their number for 17th January, printed a column
on the general question of T.W.A’s commercial future. The columrAst
refers to a Wall Street rumour that P.A.A. may buy up T.W.A.: The
rumour is evidently based on the very weak financial position of T.W.A.,
whose domestic losses alone are four times greater than the biggest loss
shewn by any other U.S. company - and in fact many shewed profits - while
their overseas expansion has been on the most extravagant lines. Juan
Trippe of P.A.A. also has a strong interest in buying out T.W.A., not only
to stem T.W.A’s overseas encroachments but also in an attempt to ’inherit'
their domestic routes and so settle out of hand the C.A.B. Domestic
Route Case which is now ’sub judice’. Whether the C.A.B. will allow
this to happen is doubtful. And' whether T* A A# can survive at all