Israel Denies Peace Tales Held in Jerusalem with Representatives of Transjordan

Rumors current here that peace talks are taking place in Jerusalem between representatives of Transjordan’s King Abdullah and Israel were denied here tonight by an official Israeli spokesman.

Israel has not yet received an order from the United Nations to withdraw from positions inside Lebanon, an official spokesman revealed earlier. If such an order is issued, he said, its reasonableness would be questioned by Israel because the Jews have held these positions since the fighting between the two truces, when they were captured. In the most recent action in Galilee, the Arabs drove the Jews out of the positions, but later the Israelis recaptured them. The spokesman also reported that all fronts were generally quiet today.

A new settlement named Nordiah, in honor of Max Nordau, the late Zionist leader and co-worker of Theodor Herzl, was today established on a tract of land near Nathanya. The settlers are all veterans of the Jewish Brigade.

Fritz Bernstein, Minister for Trade and Industry, today appointed a committee to study the resources of the Dead Sea and to make recommendations on the possibilities for further development of the area and its resources. The chairman of the committee is S.S. Hoofien, managing director of the Anglo-Palestine Bank.

Arab war prisoners, writing through the International Red Cruse, have thanked the Red Mogen David of Israel for the attitude of its personnel toward them and for the gifts which the organization has distributed among them, it was learned here.

The Hebrew press today reported that 50 Jewish internees on Cyprus escaped from their detention camps recently. They attempted to swim to a ship in Famagusta harbor and were recaptured. The reports stated that the Jews were forced to stand in their wet clothes all night, that many were beaten and several stabbed. Two men were hospitalized.