850 Displaced Jews Defy Army Order to Move to Another Camp; Food Supplies Cut off

Eight hundred and fifty displaced Jews in the Franz Josef Camp, near Salzburg, have been without adequate food and other essential supplies for several days as a result of their refusal to obey an American military government order to move to another camp, it was learned today.

The DP’s had been ordered to move to Camp Riedenburg, where 1,200 DP’s are now living, and which reportedly has accommodations for another 800. The unification of the two camps is apparently an economy measure.

American military sources here today refused to discuss the situation at the Franz Josef camp, declaring that a full report would be ready tomorrow. They are apparently waiting to confer with Rabbi Philip Bernstein, adviser on Jewish affairs to the American command in Europe, who is expected to arrive here today from Germany. The JDC has also refused any comment until Rabbi Bernstein’s arrival.

The French controlled Welt-am-Abend, which revealed the story, says that the refugees barricaded themselves inside the camp and refused to allow military police to enter. Armored cars and a large number of MP’s were called, but they were withdrawn, when the DP’s indicated that they would forcibly resist any attempt to move them. The soldiers prevented any food from being brought into the camp and removed all American equipment, including medicine and blankets. Eletricity and water were cut off. (A JTA report from Munich yesterday said that the utilities had been reopened, but little food was coming in.)

The DP’s among whom there are many women and children, did not want to remain in Austria and pleaded with the American authorities to facilitate their emigration to Palestine. The Welt-am-Abend says that U.S. quarters feared that the movement might spread to other camps.