“STAB IN BACK”

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 69, Issue 48, 6 December 1948, Page 3

“STAB IN BACK”

Blow to Arab Armies ABDULLAH AS KING OF PALESTINE (N.Z.P. A.-Eeuter— Copyright). CAIRO, December 5. The Arab Aveekly, newspaper “Akbar el Yom” announced that King Abdullah of Transjordan had given the Arab armies “a stab in the back” by proclaiming himself “King of Palestine.” The Jericho Congress on December 1 called on King Abdullah to consider the union of Palestine and Transjordan as a geographic unit to be called “Southern Syria.” The acting mediator, Dr. Ralph Bunche, commenting on the report that King Abdullah had proclaimed himself king of Palestine, said that if the> report was true it Avould alter the entire Palestine picture. He was> leaving for 'Amman to-morrow to see King Abdullah.

The United Nations Political Committee passed a resolution calling on the Big Five to appoint a three-man conciliation commission to try to bring peace to Palestine, states a Paris message. The voting was 25-21 Avith nine abstentions. A two-thirds majority is needed for approval in the General Assembly. The committee rejected three motions: (1) A Soviet demand that the Arab League armies should be ordered to withdraAv immediately from Palestine. (2) A Syrian motion to abandon partition and set up a commission to work out a Federal State in Palestine. (3) A Syrian proposal to refer the Palestine question to the International Court of Justice. The secretary-General (Mr Trygve Lie) announced the appointment of Mr Stanton Griffis, United States Ambassador to Egypt, as director of United Nations relief for Palestine refugees. A Cairo message says that the acting United States mediator, Dr. Bunche, arrived from Paris on a tour of the Middle East capitals in a new effort to persuade the. Arabs and Jews to transform the present Palestine truce into an armistice. Application Shelved Following opposition from the British and French representatives! to consideration of Israel’s application for United Nations membership, the Security Council’s Membership Committee shelved the application until the Political Committee had finished discussing Palestine. Both' Britain and France said that the application was premature because Israel had not AvithdraWn her troops from certain areas as requested by the Security Council, nor given information about the assassination of Count Bernadotte. ... .. Mr Valentine Lawford (Britain) said it was out of place for the. Jewish authorities to apply for membership when they had not demonstrated then ability or their Avillingness to comply with the Security Council’s resolutions. He urged that consideration of the application be "postponed. until much later Mr J. Rose (United States) pleaded for quick action so that Israel might be admitted before the end of this session.

TRIAL OF STERN GANG _ LEADER FORTRESS HEAVILY GUARDED (Rec. 10.25.) JERUSALEM, Dec. 5. The leader of the Stern Gang, Nathan Friedman Yellin, appeared before a military court at Acre fortress to Yefim, a graduate of the' Warsa\vTechnical School, is the lone accused in Israel’s first terrorist trial. Hundreds of 1 Jewish soldiers were stationed on rooftops of the fortress, Avhere 70 other Stern Gang members are imprisoned under close guard, and two planes patrolled overhead. Stern Gang killings are reputed to range from privates in the British Army to Count Bernadotte. Yellin is not charged with any Stern Gang killings, however. The prosecution is likely to introduce into its case the slaying of Count Bernadotte by the> “Fatherland Front,” which is the ultra Left branch of the Stern Gang. Yellin, in fact, is accused under an emergency ordinance outlaAving terrorism, which was enacted by the Israeli Government less than a week before Count Bernadotte’s death. Specific charges against Yellin are participation in a terrorist organisation and illegal possession of arms. The maximum penalty on comdetion would be 20 years’ imprisonment and confiscation of all his OAvn property. Yellin will conduct his OAvn defence. The trial Avill almost Certainly tug at the curtain behind Avhich, for a long time has been hidden—whether the Stern Gang Avas actually under foreign influence.