The Eastern Railway Station in Haifa was rocked by a severe blast this morning, which destroyed the ticket office and caused extensive damage to platforms and several coaches. There were no casualties.
According to a police communique, the explosives were in a barrel placed at the entrance to the station by “four armed Jews.” The barrel had painted on it the word “Danger” in English, Hebrew and Arabic. Loss of life was avoided as a result of warnings telephoned to the station, rail officials and police headquarters several minutes before the explosion.
The barrel was discovered by the police before it exploded and the area was cordoned off. The truck on which it was carted to the station had been stolen earlier and the driver taken to Mt. Carmel, where he was held until noon.
The Irgun Zvai Leumi has issued a statement denying that it has threatened violence against Jewish leaders who may participate in the London talks on Palestine. At the same time, the Irgun also denied that it had termed the Haganah “Quislings,” stating that the Haganah was composed of diverse elements, some of whom are “defeatists and traitors,” while others are “patriots like ourselves.” It added that it would be willing to cooperate with the “patriotic” elements in the Haganah.
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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.