Several Congressmen were reported today to be sparing to ask for a Congressional investigation of the sale by the War Assets ministration of explosives destined for Palestine, following the disclosurethat ?e explosives seized during the past few day in New York and Jersey were purchased ?gally by the Jewish Agency.
Statements issued last night by the Agency and by Leonard Weissman, who acted ?r the Agency, in negotiating the purchase of the explosives, established that not ##ly had the sale complied with all legal regulations, but that application for exert licenses were to have been filed before any attempt was made to ship the explosives.
Weissman, who has been completely exonerated by the FBI, denied that crates ## TNT found on a Jersey pier last week-end were part of the explosives purchased by ## for the Jewish Agency. It was pointed out that the explosives found on Friday ?aded on trucks in Jersey and New York, plus the part of the shipment which has been ##eld up at the WAA arsenal, add up to the total purchased by Weissman.
THE TEXT OF THE STATEMENT ISSUED BY THE AGENCY FOLLOWS:
“The Jewish people of Palestine are in desperate need of arms for their defense the ex-Mufti of Jerusalem, who collaborated with Hitler in the destruction of 6,000,000 Jews in Europe, has now called the Arab world to arms to carry on his work of {SPAN}##ssacre and extermination. Through his connections with the Arab League and the Arab ##tates, the Mufti has the facilities to acquire arms and munitions for aggression and ##nvasion.{/SPAN}”The Jewish Agency for Palestine has the responsibilities of a state about to are born. It must protect the lives and homes of the 700,000 men, women and children {SPAN}##{/SPAN} Palestine. The United Nations decision made no provision for an international force out did provide for a Jewish militia to defend the Jewish state and to maintain public security.
“It therefore devolves upon the responsible defense forces of the Jewish community of Palestine to rush preparations in a race against time in view of the unthreatened Arab aggression in defiance of the United Nations decision and the an##ced early withdrawal of British troops.
“Accordingly steps were taken to arrange for the legitimate purchase of war surplus materiel and equipment. To facilitate purchases the Jewish agency made dollar credits available. The materials found near Asbury Park on Thursday were to the best of our knowledge, legally procured to await legitimate shipment.
“It has throughout been our understanding that all such transportation was in full conformity with American law. We are proud to give our aid to the embattled Jews of Palestine. We trust that material urgent for their defense may soon be shipped to them legally, and with God’s help reach them in time to meet their grave emergency.”
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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.
