News Brief

Except for the descent of 200 Moslem youths on the Wailing Wall area today no concerted Arab movements were reported in the New or Old City. The police stated that the Arab crowd which went to the Wailing Wall was orderly.

Commercial life in the city of Jerusalem was entirely stilled, Jewish shops being closed on account of the Sabbath and Moslem and Christian Arabs because of the strike proclaimed on the occasion of the twelfth anniversary of the Balfour Declaration. Only a few banks and tourist offices were functioning normally.

Many Arab shops, especially in the bazaars of the Old City, display small black banners mainly with the inscription: “Down with the Balfour Declaration!”

Similar inscriptions were chalked on doors and the walls of the passage leading to the Wailing Wall where only a few intrepid worshippers went in the early morning. No regular services were held at the Wailing Wall on this Sabbath and the usual appurtenances were not brought by the few Jewish worshippers who ventured there.

A crowd of 200 Moslem youths went to the Wailing Wall area today. The police stated that the crowd was orderly.

On the main streets of the New City well dressed Arab boys are selling tags with the same inscription as on the black banners. Money paid for the tags is deposited in locked boxes.

The Mosque of Omar was not crowded. There were only a few city loiterers in the streets leading to the Mosque and practically no Arabs from the neighboring villages.

In the Old City Jews in their Sabbath clothes thronged the streets of the Jewish quarters, basking in the brilliant sunshine.

According to a statement made by Police Commandant Wainright to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency the roads leading to Jerusalem were empty today. The entire southern district is quiet and there were no evidences of tension in spite of an Arab demonstration announced for later in the day.