PILOT MISSING IN PALESTINE

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22534, 17 October 1938, Page 9

PILOT MISSING IN PALESTINE

Threat to- Destroy Villages i BRITISH AUTHORITIES’ warning' tr ■ ' (liiiTiP prkss A^socxmoy—oopmstT.) ♦ - > v -C (Received October 16, 8.10 jun.) JERUSALEM, October 15. A new phase of'the Arab terrorist campaign is the blowing up of main roads and culverts in North Palestine, for which action the town of Shafaamer has been fined £7OO. _ Military officials have warned headmen in ; villages round Hebron that if information about' the/whereabouts of a missing Royal Air - Force pilot, Harold Packer, is not given by the evening, their villages will be destroyed. ' • Grave anxiety is felt for Packer, Who was forced down on the Jerusalem-Hebrbn road. ■■ He is believed to be . wounded and' lost in the undergrowth. Two British soldiers were injured when a land mine exploded on * moxmtain track near'Jenin.

U.S. INTERESTS IN/ PALESTINE RIGHT TO BE CONSULTED BY BRITAIN (Received October 16, 7.50 p.m.) WASHINGTON, October 14. After receiving an influential American Jewish delegation, the Secretary of State (Mr Cordell Hull) issued a statement promising to take “all necessary measures for the pro-. tection of American rights and interests in Palestine.” Mr Hull added that the American Government expects “to have an opportunity to submit its views to the British Government in any changes affecting American rights which may be proposed in the Palestine ■ mandate.”

Mr Hull pointed out that these rights were defined by the British and American mandate convention of December 3, 1924. Though the United States had not power to prevent modification of the terms of the mandate, Mr Hull said; the Government could “decline* to recognise the validity of the*'application to American interests of any modifications made without its assent.” He added- that he had received thousands of telegrams protesting against'the reported British plan to stop Jewish immigration to Palestine.

AN OPEN DOOR FOR JEW REFUGEES U.S. GOVERNMENT ASKED TO INTERCEDE (Received October 16, 9.10 p-m-X x . WASHINGTON, October 16. Sixty-four thousand telegram# have arrived urging the Government to intercede with Britain to secure an open door in Palestine for homeless European Jews.