WATER SUPPLY TO JERUSALEM CUT BY ARABS

Greymouth Evening Star, 13 August 1948, Page 6

WATER SUPPLY TO JERUSALEM CUT BY ARABS

LONDON, August 12. Two explosions followed by fire today caused heavy damage to the Latrun water-pumping station, says agency messages from Palestine. It is officially announced that Arabs caused the explosions, which occurred at dawn. The plant was wrecked to such an extent that no water can pass to Jerusnlem The chief United Nations observer in the area, Colonel Macdougal, said that United Nations guards last night saw seven men in civilian clothes near the pumping station and warned them off. The men later apparently sneaked past the United Nations checkpoint with a truck and blew up the station. The men were seen fleeing in a truck. An agency correspondent reports that United Nations observers took over the pumping station yesterday. Technicians intended to make minor repairs today before resuming direct water supplies to Jerusalem. The station, which is one of a series of booster points to lift water from the coast over the Judean Hills to Jerusalem, was placed in no-man's-land by a recent agreement between the Arab Legion and the United Nations. Arab forces yesterday withdrew 1000 yards from the station and promised not to interfere with pumping operations. The British United Press correspondent in Rhodes says that the United Nations mediator (Count Bernadotte) has reported that he has received an Arab plan for the demilitarisation of Jerusalem containing “some very good points.” The Jews have been asked for their views.