MARTIAL LAW MAY BE IMPOSED

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22618, 22 April 1948, Page 5

MARTIAL LAW MAY BE IMPOSED

BRITISH ARMY WITHDRAWAL PLAN SURPRISE EVACUATION OF HAIFA AREA (N.Z.P.A.—Reuter— Copyright.' (11.30 a.m.) JERUSALEM, April 21. Martial law will prevail in whatever areas of Palestine it is necessary to complete the British Army’s evacuation between May 15, when the mandate ends, and August 1, the target date for the completion of the British withdrawal, according to an announcement by the British military commander, Lieutenant-General MacMillan.

An Army spokesman said the ruling meant that LieutenantGeneral MacMillan would serve virtually as military governor in some areas. Tiie surprise British decision to leave the whole of Haifa, except their headquarters and port area, caused immediate tension and already a oattle has begun for control of five city. As British troops prepared to leave their posts, the Jews reacted quickly and armed men and Jewish armoured cars patrolled the streets. British tanks tired on Jewish snipers on Carmel road, which is a link between British Headquarters on Mount Carmel and the Haifa port area. The Jews are expected to ask the Arabs to evacuate Haifa and also Tiberias. Those Arabs who remain will be granted full lights of citizenship but will have to surrender ali arms. The Arabs may be forced to accept the evacuation proposals because the Jews in Haifa outnumber them by four to one and Haganah men occupy ail the heights overlooking the Arab sections. M. Jacques de Renier, a delegate of the Red Cross International Committee in Palestine, announced the establishment of two zones in Jerusalem to accommodate 15,000 refugee women and children should large-scale Arab and Jewish fighting occur in the city. Jews and Arabs nave agreed to apply and respect the Geneva conventions in any hostilities. Arab guerrillas attacked a police armoured car transferring six Syrians from the Jerusalem central prison to Acre prison. The guerrillas stole the armoured car and released the Syrians who had been sentenced to four years imprisonment for carrying arms in the Arab Liberation Army.