LAST HOUR TRY TO AVERT, OR LIMIT WARFARE

Grey River Argus, 6 May 1948, Page 5

LAST HOUR TRY TO AVERT, OR LIMIT WARFARE

U.N.O. Proposes Independent Mayor ’ For Jerusalem (Received May 5, 10.25 p.m.) NEW YORK. May 5. . The U.N.O. Trusteeship Council had a session lasting until one o’clock in the morning. It recommended the naming of an emergency "Mayor” to take over municipal functions in ‘ the ciW .of Jerusalem when the British mandate ends on Saturday week next. This Mayor will have no official connection with the United Nations The Council defeated the New Zealand proposal to have a United Nations delegate take over mandatory authority in Jerusalem. The Council instead adopted a Belgian resolution calling the attention of the U.N.O. General Assembly to “the necessity of providing for the custody of the assets of the Government of Palestine in Jerusalem ; and for the effective maintenance of law and order, pending a final settlement.”

No definite proposal was made, however, fo rthe maintaining of order. The resolution was adopted by a vote of nine to “nil, with Russia and France abstaining from voting. The i-esolution will be presented to a meeting of the General Assembly today (Wednesday). The vote on the New Zealand resolution was: In favour: Australia. New Zealand, France and Russia. Against: China, Iraq, the United States Mexico and the Philippines Abstaining from voting: Britain. Jewish “Cabinet” Meets (Received May 5. 11.55 p.m.) LONDON, May 5. A Zionist “Cabinet” has been formed to administer & Jewish State after May 15, when the British leave Palesine. This Cabinet met for the first time, in Tel-Aviv, last night, to heai- a report from David Ben Rurion, its Prime Minister-designate. Jews End Truce LONDON, May 4 The Stern Gang to-day announced the end of its truce with the British in Palestine says Reuter’s Tel Aviv correspondent. The Stern Gang declared: “Our direct war against the British enemy w'ill be resumed.” The announcement is regarded as a repl> to the arrival of nritisli reinforcements. The Irgun Zvai Leumi announced that, after an all-night battle it had occupied an Arap stronghold village, Yehudia, which had barred the way to Lydda airport. Later the Irgun Zvai Leumi reported that strong, Arab forces have struck back at the Irgun’s positions in Yehudia. In Jerusalem the Jewish Agency granted assurances of safe conduct for six Red Cross buses to repatriate Egyptian nationals. * akab forces active in north The Associated Press correspondent at Mafrak, Transjordan, wmeh is 25 miles from Palestine frontier, reported the arrival yesterday of an Iraqi armoured brigade, whose leader said they were at King Abdullah’s disposal. The Haganah declared that Lebanese artillery this morning heavily shelled the northern Jewish settlement of Ramat Naftali, which is four miles from the Lebanese border. A Haganah spokesman said he did not know whether the guns were fired from Lebanese or Palestine territory. me Syrian Foreign Office has ordered the censorship of all foreign press messages. A spokesman said that censorship might oe expected in the entire Arab world within a few days. BRITISH ATTITUDE < The British authorities in Jerusalem have ordered the cease-nre in Jerusalem to continue until the positions at Katamon are finally settled. In Jerusalem the chief Red Cross delegate, M. Jacques de Reynier, said the rnternationai R.ed Cross was prepared to consider a Jewish or Aran request™ bring Jeruslaem under the Red Cross flag. He emphasised that the International Red cross can act only a.s an intermediary, but cannot take the initiative in any question ailecttng Jerusalem’s status. Reuter’s correspondent says M. de Reynier’s statement is regarded as t> peace feeler. A Foreign Office spokesman m London saia that the decision to reinforce British troops in Palestine did not imply any change in the decision of the. British Government to end the mandate on May 15. The only reason for sending reinforcements was that the lawlessness t UK- country maue them necessary. It was the responsbility of the British authorities to keep law- and until May 15. .. The bringing in of lighting reinforecements for the British Army in Palestine two weeks before the end of the mandate and in the midst of the general withdrawal, has inevitably drawn sarcastic comments, especially from the Jews,” says the Jerusalem correspondent of me Times* “It is not apparently appreciated that the incoming troops are more suited for operations than those going out. Operational troops in Palestine never were as high in number or as suitably equipped as they were generally understood to be. Outoreaks of violence proved to be greater than had been expected, and the challenge to authority rose to such a pitch that the forces stationed in Palestine could no longer cope with it.” Dealing with Palestine in the Commons, Mr Bevin said his military advisers did not confirm the reports oi an Arab invasion. “With a crisis upon us, there is still time for moderation and reason to win,” he added, “but it may be too late in a fejy_days.” The Government still intended to relinquish the Palestine mandate on May 15. Britain intended to use her military resources to maintain law and order and prevent aggression until her mandate expired, and after that to use her troops to cover the withdrawal of the remaining British forces. “We have used all our influence to prevent an Arab invasion of Palestine,” he said.

Some Australians May Take Part In Palestine Warfare

CANBERRA.. May 5 . Interest is shown all over Australia in offers by Jews and Arabs for Australians to assist them in warfare. So far 69 young men have called at the offices of the Sydney Daily Telegraph to inquire how to get in touch with the agents of the Palestine forces Of these only one was a Jew anxious to fight for his people. A Maori who saw action with New Zealanders in France, Greece and Crete, said that as Australia wanted to deport Maoris the best thing he could do was to fight for the Arabs. , Passports will be refused to any Australians attempting to go to Palestine to join or train Jews or Arabs,

according to the Minister of Immigration, Mr Calwell. After con,sulta_tions with the Prime Minister, Mr Chifley, Mr Calwell said: “My department will take every precaution to prevent any Australian from joining either side. Where there are grounds for believing that the applicant wants to proceed to Palestine, the application will be refused. While the present tension, lasts, all passports are being endorsed as invalid for-Palestine, and special instructions have been issued to the Australian and British Consular officials overseas ensuring that entry to Palestine is not obtainable through other countries. “Anyone defying this rule will forfeit the protection of the Australian Government in any form.” Mr. Holland Doubtful Of Partition Plan AUCKLAND, May 5. It was impossible to expect successful partition of Palestine without a military force capable of enforceing partition, said the Leader of the Natioinal Party (Mr S. G. Holland) last night. “Britain is thoroughly tired of the responsibilities of the mandate, and is determined to withdraw in a fortnight, and it cannot be denied that the United Nations have not been willing to assume any responsibility for the enforcement of their own decision,” he said. “It seems to be merely playing with the problem to persist in partition without any means of enforcing it.” Appeals for a truce between the Arab and Jewish forces were not very promising, and the prospect was that within a matter of weeks open warfare would be under way with no available military force to check its spread, Mr Holland continued. “The present condition of the world is such that it is well nigh impossible to isolate disputes of this kind,” he added. “I still' hope that the United Nations will find ways and means, even at this stage, of preventing bloodshed, at least until the problem of partition can be reconsidered.” New Zealand Recruil For Arab Forces WELLINGTON, May 5. Mr R. B. Jackson, of Auckland, has decided to enlist with the Arab Forces. He said to-day he was in Wellington k o meet two men whom, he understood, had already been signed up to go to the Middle East. Mr Jackson said that he had served in World War II with the Air Force and as a lieutenant in the Fleet Air Arm. He then went into partnership as a poultry farmer m Auckland, hut, because of the lacK of poultry foodstuffs, he had to give this up two weeks ago. He was going more to fill in time than because of any real concern for the issues at stake in Palestine, he said, though “I suppose I am pro-Arab. I like a scrap, and I expect that when the British move out of Palestine there will be one.” , , . „ u Mr Jackson said he expected he would be required to train men in Palestine rather than to fight, that the pay wuold be .good, and that transport to the Middle East would be arranged. The Farran Tragedy LONDON. May 4. An inquest was opened on Rex Farran (brother of Major R. Farran) who was Killed by a bomb secreted in a letter. After a minute the inquest was adjourned indefinitely after the father, Stephen Francis Farran, ,<ave evidence of identification. He said his son was aged 25, single, and an engineer’s draughtsman and designer. " ■ e A man claiming to be a member of the Stern Gang telephoned the British United Press correspondent’s office 1 i Paris and said his organisation claimed full responsibility for Rex Farran s death. The man said he was dictating an official Stern Gafng statement, which said the purpose of the killing was to punish Farran for the murder of a Jewish youth; ana was a reply to the sending of British reinforcements to Palestine.