STILL THEY COME

Grey River Argus, 13 August 1946, Page 5

STILL THEY COME

JEWISH IMMIGRANTS British Blockade JERUSALEM, August 11. The R.A.F. sighted two ships believed to be carrying illegal immigrants to Haifa. Destroyers went out to intercept them. Tension is mounting hourly throughout Palestine. The authorities have clamped down the strictest security measures so far imposed. The rumour - is' spreading that migrants from the ships- already tied up at Haifa will to-morrow be shipped to Cyprus. Th- Haganah has sworn to try to stop such a move. Another ship believed to be carrying illegal immigrants has been officially reported approaching the Palestine coast. An R.A.F. plane sighted the ship headed for Haifa, and a destroyer went out. to investigate. The ship is' reported to be named the Henrietta, s>o called after a deceased American Jewess, who organised the movement for bringing Jewish children from Europe to Palestine. More than 1400 illegal immigrants still remain aboard two of the 10 illegal immigrant ships which in the past fortnight have arrived at Palestine ports. It is stated several thousand British reinforcements have arrived at Haifa. The Palestine broadcasting service received a telephone warning that the radio station building had been mined. The staff was ordered to leave immediately. Police searched the building without success, and decided that the telephone warning was a hoax. The staff returned after- 40 minutes.

Labourers at Famagusta (Cyprus) have been ordered to stand by at 4.30 a.m. to-morrow, following unofficial reports that six ships were expected. Newspapermen flocked to Famagusta on a report that a batch of Jewish illegal immigrants were arriving to-morrow. The naval authorities are reported to nave received a signal, “Have made contact wit i ships sailing parallel”, but the number of ships were not given. Two Z craft (shallow draught general purpose vessels) were hastily loaded with 100 tons' of fuel oil, which might mean that the ships are small and likely to lack fuel, or the Z craft intended stopping them before the three-mile limit and refuelling them, disembarking the passengers and sending the ship's off. Leaders of all the Cyprus parties, except Leftists, protested against, the diverting of illegal Jewish immigrants from Palestine to Cyprus, says the Daily Express Nicosia correspondent. The first batch of immigrants is expected to reach the island on August 12. A British infantry battalion, also six R.A.F. Lancasters, arrived at Cyprus yesterday.