U.S. Police Seize 3 Trucks Of Explosives

Northern Advocate, 10 January 1948, Page 3

U.S. Police Seize 3 Trucks Of Explosives

ARMS FOR JEWS

NEW YORK, Fri. (2 p.m.)—State police today seized three trailer trucks loaded with 69 tons of explosives, six and a half times more powerful than TNT. Police stated that the trucks, which were intercepted at Lake Katrine, New York were en route to a Zionist leader’s business associate in New Jersey. Drivers of the trucks had become suspicious that they were carrying explosives and tipped off the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Police of eight states had watched for the lorries, \yhich carried enough explosive to level a small city. The alarm was broadcast by the New Jersey police, after they had broken up an alleged arms ring suspected of supplying weapons tc Palestine Jews.

Nine alleged members of the ring, who were arrested on a New Jersey farm yesterday, were released on bail today. At the time of the arrest the police seized a consignment of 50 tons of explosives, and they suspect that three more lorry loads of explosives were diverted from the farm and are now probably somewhere on the roads. The Army descjjbes the seized explosive as cyclonite which has about the same strength as dynamite.

The Arab Office in London stated that it would consider such an agreement a very serious breach of Britain’s undertaking to exercise undivided responsibility in Palestine and maintain the status quo until the mandate is relinquished. It would open the door to foreign military intervention under Britain’s protection, letting in those who were declared supporters of the Zionist cause.

The State Department denied today that the United States had ever asked permission from either the British 01 Palestine Governments to send marines to Palestine.

Two of the men arrested earlier were the owner of the farm and the driver of a truck from which explosives were being unloaded wffien the police arrived.

The police raid started after receipt of anonymous advice that trucks were being unloaded at the farm. While the search was being carried out the United Nations Palestine Commission opened its sittings at Lake Success and the Arab Higher Committee made a statement accusing the Jewish Agency of being the active body behind the smuggling of arms and ammunition to Palestine. “We have information that Zionists are buying ships, armoured cars and planes in the United States in order to fight the Arabs,” it was stated. “The United States cannot, legally or morally, object to Russians sending arms and ammunition to Greece if it continues to allow American citizens to raise funds to smuggle arms and ammunition and send them to the Zionists in Palestine.” SHIPMENT SEIZED

Reports from London to that effect, it added, probably arose from the fact that United States officials had discussed informally with the Palestine Government the possibility of sending marines to guard the United States Consulate in Jerusalem, but no decision had been reached.

A shipment of 85,0001 b of explosives has been seized on a farm in New Jersey by state police and county detectives.

The state prosecutor (Mr Victor Carton) said he was fairly certain that the load was connected with the shipment of 65,0001 b of TNT which was seized on Saturday on a pier in New Jersey while being loaded on a vessel for Palestine. Mr Carton added that the explosives were Army surplus demolition stocks which had been sold at a Government depot in New York.

Arab sources stated that Arab national committees throughout Palestine cabled appeals to the Arab League countries of Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Transjordan, Irak, Saudi Arabia and Yemen for “immediate aid,”

following recent Jewish bomb attacks on Arabs.

Reuters Jerusalem correspondent says the Stern Gang issued a statement threatening all foreign correspondents who accept cards issued by the “Fascist, British-paid Arab Higher Organisation” that they will forfeit the privilege of immunity.