General Mobilization of Jews in Palestine Planned; American Jews Recruited

Preparations were concluded here today for a general mobilization of all able-bodied Jews in Palestine, regardless of age and sex, to be assigned either to military, civilian defense, or agricultural work.

At the same time American citizens here were informed that they can un-list for active service in the British forces without taking an oath of allegiance to the King. A number of American Jews reported to the recruiting offices as soon as this information was made public.

The call for the general mobilization of the Palestine Jews will be published in the next few days, it was stated. It will be issued under the signatures of the executive of the Jewish Agency and the Jewish National Council of Palestine. A central recruiting committee headed by three Jewish experts will direct the recruits to the kind of work for which they are best fitted.

An attack in the eastern Mediterranean must be considered possible, British official circles here believe. “Its direction is likely to be from the Dodecanese and Crete against Cyprus, Syria and Palestine,” a British official said today. Such an operation, he pointed out, would have to be made by sea and air, and though the British have considerable naval strength in the eastern Mediterranean, an advance by hops from port to port and from airdrome to airdrome might be possible if well covered by air strength.

AMERICAN MILITARY UNITS WOULD BE MOST WELCOME, BRITISH COMMANDER SAYS

Parallel with preparations taken in Palestine to hold off any German drive, preparations are also being made in Syria. The last few months have been used by Gen. Wilson’s army to improve communications between Syria and Palestine, to combat fifth-column activities, to prepare defenses and to train troops. British military experts declare that Palestine and Syria are excellent places to complete training.

Gen. Wilson, who commands the 9th Army and has his headquarters in one of the mountain towns in Lebanon, when asked whether he hoped that American troops would join his army, said that if they did come they would be most welcome. Such a visible sign of Allied cooperation would be valuable, he declared. The only Americans in uniform in Syria today are the members of the American Field Service Volunteers who drive ambulances, and even they are anxious to proceed with their ambulances to the Libyan front since there are no wounded in Syria.

Information reaching here from Cyprus indicates that the British military authorities there have bolstered the island base to block any possible Nazi sea and air route to Palestine and Syria over the Mediterranean. Enemy invasion of Palestine and Syria by sea or air is an almost impossible operation so long as the British hold Cyprus and Turkey remains neutral.