CONDEMNED JEWISH TERRORIST

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25160, 16 April 1947, Page 7

CONDEMNED JEWISH TERRORIST

LEAVE TO APPEAL FOR GRUNER SOUGHT

(Rec. 9.30 p.m.) LONDON, April 14. A firm of Rendon solicitors to-day lodged, on behalf of Mr Israel Rokach, Mayor of Tel Aviv, a petition with the Privy Council seeking leave to appeal against the death sentence on Dov Gruner. The firm has also sent a cablegram to the High Commissioner (Lieutenant-General Sir Alan Cunningham) telling him that the petition has been lodged. The Palestine Government, earlier to-day, informed the solicitors that the petition which the firm sent to the Government on April 8, seeking a postponement of Gruner’s execution

pending an appeal to the Privy Council, had been communicated to General Sir Richard MacMillan, General Officer Commanding in Palestine. The Government added that no undertaking could be given that the solicitors’ request could be granted.

The authorities have moved Gruner and six other terrorists who have been condemned to death from the Jerusalem central prison to the Acre prison fortress. The correspondents in Jerusalem of Reuters and the Associated Press say the removal of Gruner and other terrorists caused a strong rumour that Gruner, Alkoshi, Kashani, and Dov Rosenbaum, who are all condemned to death, had been removed to be executed to-day. They added that the rumour is typical of the hypersensitive state of Palestine, where even a minor move registers political repercussions.

It was later announced that the transfers were made because of congestion in the Jerusalem prison and the fact that some of the terrorists needed medical treatment.

Check on Wine Sales.—The British Government proposes to change the Pure Food and Drugs Act to compel all retailers of wines and spirits to give details of the contents on the labels of all goods offered for sale. This is designed to chec? the sale of bogus or inferior wines and spirits at exorbitant prices. For some time the wine and spirit trade has been pressing the Government to take action to protect the good nsme of the industry. —Special Correspondent, N.Z.PJL, London, April 14.