JEWS REFUSE TO LAND

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25250, 31 July 1947, Page 7

JEWS REFUSE TO LAND

REFUGEES RETURNED FROM HAIFA FRENCH OFFER REJECTED LONDON, July 29. “The three ships . carrying 4500 refugees, who are being returned to France after illegally trying to enter Palestine in the ship President Warfield, entered Port de Bouc, 30 miles west of Marseilles, this morning," says Reuters. “About 1000 French regular troops joined strong security police forces in cordoning off the port area. “The first ship to anchor was the Runnymede Park. The other ships are the Empire Rival and the Ocean Vigour. ‘T?he refugees refused to land. One Jew said: ‘We would rather starve to death than land anywhere except in Palestine.’ Nearby persons in a small boat chartered by the Haganah urged the immigrants, through loud-speakers, to stay aboard at any cost. “The immigrants’ refusal to leave the ships is puzzling the local French authorities, who consulted the Prime Minister (Mr Ramadier) by telephone. French officials went aboard each of the three ships and offered the immigrants the choice of staying aboard or landing. The immigrants said that they would remain aboard. “Tlie British Consul in Marseilles 'Mr S. E. Kay) told me that if the Jewish refugees refused to disembark it would become ‘exclusively a British decision on what measures will be taken.’ The Cabinet might have to make a decision, possibly involving a oelay of several days. "By to-night 1000 Jew», covered with dust after their long trek, had streamed into Port de Bouo in response to an appeal for Jews to gather to demonstrate against any disembarkation of ! the immigrants. The French police did not attempt to stop the continued in- I Bitration, . “Only five refugees were taken I ashore to-night, including a woman suffering from tuberculosis, who was I taken to hospital, and two other couples who decided to accept the chance of hospital care,” I