Colonial Office at Loss to Explain Palestine Tepeat to Punish Jews for Haifa Fire

The Colonial Office is completely at a loss to explain what the Palestine Government meant by its announcement yesterday that the Jewish community would pay for the destruction of approximately $900,000 worth of fuel oil and equipment in Haifa.

A spokesman told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency today that the Colonial Office had not been informed that the Palestine Government was contemplating such a move and that after it received a cable to this effect from Richard Stubbs, Palestine Information Officer who made the announcement originally, it was still unclear what the Palestine officials had in mind. The spokesman stated that he could not figure out whether Stubbs meant that the Jewish community would suffer by being deprived of the destroyed oil, or whether specific damages would be exacted.

He added that, as far as he knew, such a contingency was not discussed with High Commissioner Sir Alan G. Cunningham during his four-day visit hore last week. He concluded that responsibility for the announcement and subsequent action lies with the High Commissioner rather than with London.

Another government source privately told the JTA that he believes that the Palestine Government made the move on the spur of the moment and was uncertain of what it really meant.

The London office of the Jewish Agency issued a statement condemning the Palestine Government’s threat as “highly undemocratic.” The statement said: “This outrage (blowing up the Haifa pipelines) was committed by members of an organization which is utterly repudiated by the Jewish community whose authority they defy. To punish the entire commnity for the misdeeds of a few is wholly repugnant to British tradition and is highly undemocratic as well as ineffective.”