Two Arabs were killed today and at least thirty-nine reported wounded in clashes with police arising from demonstrations in Jaffa, Hebron, Safed, Nablus, Beisan and Acre as an anti-Jewish campaign of civil disobedience went into effect throughout the country.
Two Arabs were killed at Jaffa and twenty-five wounded when police opened fire on 10,000 Arabs demonstrating after they left Moslem Sabbath services in mosques. A bomb thrown at the police station was caught by a Jewish policeman named Arkin while the fuse was still burning and prevented from exploding.
Six bombs were thrown in a demonstration at Acre. Two of them were hurled at the Kadoorie school and two at the police station. No damage was reported.
Fourteen persons were reported wounded in a demonstration at Acre.
No disorders were reported in Jerusalem.
Shots fired by Arabs at the American Jewish colony of Raanana, north of Tel Aviv, wounded one of the colonists, Aron Davidson. Arab demonstrators attempting to invade the Jewish quarter of Safed were dispersed.
A Jewish home for the aged, in the Romema quarter of Jerusalem, was bombed. No casualties were reported.
Arabs in Haifa set fire to fifteen carloads of property belonging to newly arrived German Jewish families. The property was completely destroyed. The authorities rejected an offer by the Histadruth. Palestine labor federation, to supply 100 men as voluntary watchmen.
FOOD SHORTAGE FEARED IN OLD CITY
Meanwhile, about 3,800 Jews still left in the Old City of Jerusalem from which about 1200 have already been evacuated, were reported facing a food shortage. (About 900 Jews were evacuated from the quarter this morning.)
The Agudath Israel, extreme orthodox organization, opened a drive to supply them with food, sending three lorries into the Old City, which is in a stage of practical siege. The lorries were dispatched despite the refusal of the police to supply an escort, Rabbi Moshe Blau, a leader of the Aguda, himself accompanying them.
A group of Jerusalem Arab merchants sent a written request to the authorities, pleading with them to order reopening of stores which have been kept closed by terrorists since the general strike against Jewish immigration and sale of land to Jews began a month ago.
HEAVILY-ARMED PATROLS GUARD TROUBLE CENTERS
Heavily-armed police and military forces patrolled Palestine’s trouble centers today as an Arab campaign of civil disobedience, including non-payment of taxes and a boycott of everything Jewish, went into effect throughout the country.
New reinforcements arrived from Egypt and 2,400 British soldiers, completely mobilized, waited on the Transjordan side of the Allenby bridge for the order to enter Palestine. They were accompanied by armored cars.
Arabs cut telephone wires between Transjordan and Palestine and bombed one of the main bridges in an evident attempt to hinder military operations, but the damages were quickly repaired.
Strong forces guarded the Old City of Jerusalem, where three persons have been killed in the last two days, making impossible demonstrations by Arabs as they left the mosques after Sabbath devotions. The mosques were not crowded because village peasants had been prevented from entering the city.
JAFFA AN ARMED CAMP
Predominantly-Arab Jaffa resembled an armed camp with army tanks lumbering through the streets and machine-gun nests set up at strategic points. Barbed-wire barricades were erected and the streets were full of soldiers carrying arms and ammunition. Police were steel helmets.
Arab and Jewish Government employes in Jaffa had been ordered not to report for work today.
Military forces were less conspicuous but on hand in Jerusalem. Twelve army tanks toured the Jewish colonies between Haifa and Zichron Jacob.
Trains were stoned at several railway stations and windows were smashed. Two passengers were slightly injured.
It was established that a fire at Mishmar ha-Emek forest yesterday burned 4,600 trees.
Jerusalem was deprived of mail and telegraph facilities at night under an extended curfew covering postal and wire offices.
A bomb exploded last night at the Jerusalem depot. A Jewish driver, Aaron Gardi, who happened to be passing was arrested.
CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED
The disobedience campaign was proclaimed when the seven-day period given to the Government in an Arab ultimatum to halt Jewish immigration and sale of land to Jews expired last night with the demands unmet.
The Arab Supreme Council formed to press the strike for restrictions on Jews and establishment of a national government was reported to have been offered concessions by High Commissioner Sir Arthur Grenfell Wauchope to end the strike.
Sir Arthur was reliably reported to have offered the following:
1-Not to issue a new schedule of Jewish immigration before an Arab delegation negotiated in London with the Colonial Office.
2-If the delegation did not proceed to London, a British Parliamentary committee to come to Palestine to hear the Arabs’ grievances.
3-Establishment of a mixed Arab-British-Jewish committee to determine the capacity of Palestine to absorb immigrants.
The Arab council was said to have replied with an emphatic no to the first alternative, insisting on complete and unconditional stoppage of Jewish immigration. It was expected to reply to the remaining offers shortly.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
