CONDEMNED JEWS EXECUTED

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25249, 30 July 1947, Page 7

CONDEMNED JEWS EXECUTED

Irgun Announces Reprisal > BRITISHSOLDIERS TO DIE , (N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 11.30 p.m.) JERUSALEM, July 29. The three Jewish terrorists who .were sentenced to death fqg the 'attack on the Acre gaol on April 5, w.ere executed this Jnorning. They were Yacob Weiss, Meir Nakar, and Absalom Habid. They were members of the Irgun Zvai Leumi. Yesterday the Jewish Agency urgently appealed to the High Commissioner (General Sir Alan Cunningham) to spare their lives. The Chief Rabbi also appealed to General Cunningham. An announcement by the Irgun Zvai I/eumi says that the two 4 British sergeants who were kidnapped on July 11 have been “tried” by an Irgun “court,” found guilty of being “members of an armed force illegally occupying Palestine,” and sentenced to death. The announcement adds that the sentences have been confirmed. The British sergeants are Mervyn Paice and Clifford Martyn. Soon after the British authorities announced yesterday that the three Jews would be executed at? dawn today, Menachem Beigin, commander-in-chief of the Irgun Zvai Leumi, said: “We will hang the two British sergeants at exactly the same time as bur men die.”

Beigin, in a statement to the Hebrew newspapers, threatened immediate reprisals. He added: “The streets will run red with British blood.”

A Palestine Government spokesman said that there was no question of bargaining for the lives of the two British sergeants.

JEWS SENT BACK TO FRANCE

ARRANGEMENTS MADE FOR RECEPTION (Rec. 7 p.m.) LONDON, July 28 The destroyer Cardigan Bay, one of the British destroyers escorting three ships with 4500 Jews from the illegal immigrant ship President Warfield, has arrived at Marseilles.

A senior British officer discussed with French officials and representatives of the British Consulate arrangements for the arrival of the ships at Port de Bouc. ,30 miles west of Marseilles.

The commander ol the British convoy had advised the British authorities in Paris that there are 22 sick passengers aboard. Ten were ordinary medical cases, six are surgical cases, four are women expecting babies, and two are children with measles.

The convoy is expected to arrive at Port de Bouc at dawn to-morrow.

IMMIGRANT SHIPS AT HAIFA

PASSENGERS BEING SENT . TO CYPRUS JERUSALEM, July 28. The small motor-caique Shavei Zion (Homecombers), carrying 400 illegal immigrants, including women and children, berthed at Haifa shortly after dawn to-day. The Shavei Zion was the first of two Haganah illegal ships to arrive at Haifa to-day. The naval party which boarded the ship off the coast reported that there was no resistance. Most of the passengers were Oriental Jews from the North African coast. The crew sabotaged the ship’s engines.

A second illegal immigrant ship, the Victims, arrived later carrying 800 immigrants.

The passengers from both ships are being transferred to three British vessels.

One man and four women from the second ship were taken to hospital. Nine of their relatives have been allowed to remain in Palestine for the time being. Four hundred passengers will remain aboard until the ferry ships have returned from Cyprus. The other 400 were embarked with the refugees from the Shave Zion.

PALESTINE AND U.S. AID TO BRITAIN NEW YORK NEWSPAPER’S COMMENT (Rec. 9.40 p.m.) NEW YORK, July 28. The New York “Journal and American,” in a leading article on the front page, says: “The American people feel that the United States is supplying Britain with so many things that in return some concession for Palestine should be given. “A just and statesmanlike solution of 'the Palestine problem would assist Britain’s strategical needs in the Near East, fortify that great goodwill of the American taxpayer, and enhance the prestige of British justice and British respect for the pledged word.” STOCK VALUES FALL IN, LONDON “GLOOMY TALK, EBBING CONFIDENCE ” (Rec. 7 p.m.) LONDON, July 28. Disqujet over the economic situation, couplefl with possible political repercussions, led to a liquidation on the London Stock Exchange to-day. The “Financial Times” says that most sections of the market were affected. British Government seburities were in some cases £1 lower. Home industrial shares had their biggest falls for some months, comparable only to those on the first day of the February fuel crisis.

The city editor of “The Times” says it was a day of gloomy talk, ebbing confidence, and wild rumours.