The British Army authorities are urging the Palestine Government to place the country under martial law, it was revealed here today. It is understood that High Commissioner Sir Alan Cunningham demanded yesterday that Isaac Ben Zvi, president of the Jewish National Council, state definitely whether Jewish national institutions are prepared to cooperate with the government in checking terrorist activities and also insisted on knowing what measures these institutions have decided upon.
A Jewish Agency spokesman denied today that the High Commissioner told Ben Zvi that he was preparing to turn administration of the country over to the army. However, it is known that military leaders argue that the current wave of terror, which has been taking a daily toll of British troops, amounts to a state of war necessitating the proclamation of martial law.
(In London, the Colonial Office said today that the imposition of martial law in Palestine is not being contemplated. A spokesman denied reports that the introduction of military rule only awaited the approval of the British Cabinet.)
It was learned here today that after the Haganah’s warning this week to the terrorist groups to cease their activities, strong measures are being considered by Haganah leadership. A Jewish Agency spokesman today said that measures have already been taken to combat terrorism, but he did not specify what had been done or would be done in the future. He said that the executives of the Agency and the Jewish National Council were in consultation with the heads of Jewish municipalities and other responsible persons.
This morning, a jeep carrying five paratroopers of the Sixth Airborne Division was blown up by a landmine on the highway between Haifa and Tel Aviv. One soldier was seriously wounded and the other four suffered minor injuries.
JITTERY TROOPS MANHANDLE JEWS; SEARCHES CONTINUE IN JERUSALEM
Searches were continuing in Jewish quarters of Jerusalem and a road check was set up outside Tel Aviv to screen all vehicles. The ugly mood of the jittery troops was demonstrated last night when three persons who were caught in the streets without their identification papers were taken to the Jaffa police station and so badly manhandled that they required first aid.
In a communique explaining last night’s gun battle and explosions in Jerusalem, the police said that members of the Stern Group had stolen three cars in Tel Aviv and used them to carry bombs to Jerusalem. However, an unskilled driver ran one of the vehicles into a tree on the street of the Prophets detonating the explosives and killing two riders and seriously injuring the driver. It added that the explosion served as a signal to other groups of Sternists to attack previously designated targets, including a police station and the residence of Lieut. Gen. Barker.
Police and military bomb squads which were called to dismantle landmines placed in the streets decided to explode the bombs. In the process they destroyed one house and damaged six others, the occupants of which had been evacuated in advance. One child was slightly injured.
JEWISH WORKERS AND OFFICIALS HELD FOR INVESTIGATION AT SARAFAND
The Stern Group is also reported to be responsible for the destruction of two administration buildings at the Sarafand camp yesterday, which were blown up when a parked truck filled with explosives was set off by a time bomb. Many Jewish workers and officials employed at the base, which is the largest installation in Palestine, have been ordered held for investigation.
According to one version of last night’s attacks, they were only a diversion to cover up the movement of large quantities of explosives from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in preparation for a large-scale assault on the “government fortress” in the center of the city.
The Haganah radio charged today that British military authorities are “gambling on carrying out pogroms against Palestine’s Jews,” and warned that it was imperative that a disciplined, unified resistance movement be maintained in order to meet any eventualities. The broadcast hit out against “blind terror inflicted on English innocents” and the threat by the extremists that the terror would be extended to Jews who opposed them.
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