PALESTINE: Whose Jiftlik?

He had a string of titles — Abdul Hamid II, Sultan of Turkey, Caliph of Islam, Prince of the Faithful, Master of the World and Custodian of the Cities of Mecca and Medina — but he was better known during his reign (1876-1909) as Abdul the Damned. He squatted within a triple-walled palace at Constantinople, amassed women (four wives, 233 concubines) and wealth ($112,000,000 in jewels, millions more in oilfields and other jiftlik, or crown lands). In 1920, after he and his sick empire had died, his numerous heirs began one of the most fantastic inheritance suits of all time.

The states carved out of Abdul's empire had taken over his jiftlik as part of the public domain. His heirs contended that this was illegal seizure of private property.

Now, after a quarter-century of litigation involving such eminent British barristers as Sir Stafford Cripps and Lord Chancellor Jowitt, the case is being retried in a Palestine district court.

Against the Palestine Government, are arrayed 17 of Abdul's heirs. They are solidly backed by such solid Britons as Sir Malcolm Stewart of the Federation of British Industries and Colonel Beresford Lockhart-Jervis of Malaysiam Tin, Ltd.

The businessmen have put up about $10,000,000 to push a $200,000,000 claim. If Palestine loses, the jiftlik will be divided 40% for the investors, 60% for the progeny of Abdul the Damned.