NEW EXODUS?

Grey River Argus, 4 January 1946, Page 5

NEW EXODUS?

JEWS OF EUROPE Problems of Displaced Persons / LONDON, December 2. The Chief of the U.N.R.R.A. operations in Europe, qir Frederic Morgan, said:— there will be from 350,000 to 500,000 displaced persons in Germany _ when U.N.R.R.A.’s temporary mission in Europe is completed at the end of 1946. They constitute the seeds or World War 111. “I fail to see that any constructive effort has been made to deal with the problem of displaced persons by the four Powers. It is high time, some constructive planning and thinning was done about the solution of the problem.” , , He added that one solution would be for sparcely-populated countries like Australia to agree to accept displaced persons as immigrants. There was also room in the United States. He said he believed that thousands' of Polish Jews were pouring into the American zone of Germany from Eastern Europe in a well-organised plan to get out of Europe. He believed a secret Jewish organisation was behind the infiltration into u«eimany from the east. “I believe we are about to see a second exodus of Jews, this time from Europe”. Mr Al Easterman, London political secretary of the World Jewish Congress, denied there was a secret Jewish force inside Europe. He said that General Morgan’s suggestion that European Jews planned a mass exodus td Palestine was not only fantastically untrue, but clearly designed to prejudice the findings of the Anglo-America Commission of Inquiry. He said: “Political statements of this kind come strangely from the Chief of U.N.R.R.A. It is an undoubted fact that the vast majority of European Jews see in Palestine the only possibility for future freedom and security. General Morgan’s allegation that Jews have a plan to become a world power organised for getting what they want, is sheer Nazism, and might well come from any Hitler speech, or. from any of his gang of Fascist anti-Semites. General Morgan’s statement that reports of atrocities committed against Polish Jews was based less and less on fact, is a libel on the six million Jewish dead whose murder is one of the principal elements of the Nuremberg trial.”

A U.N.R.R.A. New Year statement issued by the Director-General, Mr Lehman, said that if the 1946 programme is carried out U.N.R.R.A. will have disbursed a total cost of almost £1,000,000,000, of which the United States contributed more than.half. Aid would be provided in 1946 for the White Russian Ukrainian Republics, which had suffered destruction on a scale never before known. Millions had been rendered homeless. More than 25,000,000 were’without shelter save such as they could get in caves, dugouts and ruined buildings. The Ukrainian Republic requested £47,250,000 and White Russia £15,250, 000. U.N.R.R.A. allocations to Greece, Italy and Yugoslavia each exceeded £100,000,000. The statement said China is the principal beneficiary under the new programme, £168,000,000 having been get aside to meet Chinese needs. Examination of Korean relief needs and required provisions is getting under way. A small U.N.R.R.A. delegation, at General MacArthur’s invitation, is visiting American-occupied districts in Korea early this month. A similar invitation from Russian-occupied Korea can be expected. The relief shipment services have rapidly expanded through the autumn months. Shipments by November 30 had risen to 10,000 long tons. It was hoped that December shipments would be almost 1,000,000 tons and that January shipments would exceed December’s. The U.N.R.R.A.’s operating resources are provided by 31 uninvaded nations, of which 29’have thus far pledged contributions. Liberia and Guatemala are still to take action. Total CiOntributions thus far received are £466,655,158. The United States authorised a full second contribution of £337,500,000 and appropriated £187,500,000. The United Kingdom also authorised a full second contribution of approximately £75,000,000. U.N.R.R.A. is proceeding with its plan for the year on the assumption that other member nations would accede to the requests of the Council to provide means for carrying out operations. Breadstuffs were the basis of austerity diets which former battleground countries were contemplating for winter basic rations. The health and energy of millions would deteriorate still further if that foundation was undercut.

ARAB BOYCOTT OF JEWISH GOODS. A POSTPONEMENT. LONDON, January 2. On Tuesday Lebanese frontier authorities impounded a consignment of goods from Jewish factories, according to a Jewish newspaper at Tel Aviv, named “Haaretz”. The paper joined in protests against any Arab boycott. A Jewish Labour newspaper “Davar” said the boycott was political rather than economic, and the Government should act quickly and energetically. Tuesday was the date originally fixed for the start, of the Arab boycott. of Jewish goods and shops,. but the Arab public is very confused because of absence of any official boycott. The Chamber of Commerce at Jaffa postponed beginning a boycott until the question was discussed by the Arab ■ Higher Committee. Arabs and Jews meantime continue to mix as before in most shops which now close at 3 p.m. under a curfew.* Delegations from Arab towns have arrived in Jerusalem seeking instructions about future action regarding tho boycott. It is believed King Ibn Saud may discuss the boycott question with Arab leaders when he arrives in Cairo on January 10. At Jerusalem, Mr J. V. Shaw, Chief Secretary of the Palestine Government, stated the Government had received no official intimation that the so-called Arab boycott of Jewishmanufactured goods would be actually imposed. Preliminary consideration was being given the situation that would arise if the boycott were imposed, but no special action was considered necessary for the moment. Mr Shaw said that virtually all the 75,000 immigration certificates for which the British White Paper /provided were now exhausted, but 400. to 500 immigrants had still to arrive from Bulgaria, He added that the Palestine Gov-

eminent had not the authority to issue further immigration visas to families and relations of Palestine residents unless the British Govern* ment decided Jewish immigA tion would continue during the period of the Anglo-American inquiry. At Cairo diplomats representing the Arab countries in Egypt, meeting in the office of the Secretary-General of the Arab League, Azzam Bey, decided to request the Palestine Arab High Committee to prepare a report on the Palestine problem and submit copies to the countries in the Arab League for comment. The League will then draft a report' for submission to the British and American Governments. The meeting also discussed co-ordina-tion plans for an Arab boycott of Jewish goods manufactured in Palestine. The meeting decided that each Arab country should send a Note to the British, American and)Russian Governments protesting against the Moscow conference decision not to invite Arab countries to participate in the peace conference. Syria and Lebanese delegates will protest to the General Assembly _ or the United Nations in London against the Anglo-French agreement to withdraw troops from the Levant in stages, says Reuter’s Damascus correspondent. The Syrian Pailiament wound up a debate on the agreement with a unanimous vote, firstly, to protest to the Security Commission of the United Nations, secondly to invite the Arab League urgently to intervene as the agreement is considered likely to be prejudicial to the general interests in the Middle East, and thirdly, reci nest the Syrian Government to take all the steps necessary to face what might be a threat to the country. BRITISH ROUND UP JEWS. LONDON, January 2. Curfew was relaxed in the Jewish sectors, but will operate between 6 p'.m. and- 6 a.m. The hours for tle last six days were 4 p.m. until 8 am A Jewish terrorist organisation used a cellar in Tel Aviv, where an explosion was reported last night, as a depot for repairs of arms and manufacture of bombs. The police found chemical apparatus and many bomb components, tools, electrical equipment, pistols, and military and police uniforms. One suspect found there was arrested. i . The combined police and military drive against terrorists in Palestine was continued this morning, when a cordon was thrown round the Jaffa road area of Jerusalem and more than 100 men were detained for questioning. It was the fifth round-up of suspects since the outi\iges> last week. Yesterday 400 persons were detained for interrogation. Seven arrests were made and a quantity of arms and ammunition was seized.

An explosion occurred in a house in the middle of Te Aviv.. Police found arms and uniforms when searching the house. In,-Jerusalem a search has been made of homes in the Jewish quarter. It is reported that the BritishAmerica Commission will not now arrive until about the end of February.