An all-day conference of military police commanders took place in Jerusalem today at which measures were discussed to prevent possible disturbances in Palestine. General Darcy, General Officer-in-Command of the Palestine area, participated in the discussions.
Meanwhile, existing security measures were being tightened today throughout the country. Military check posts were established on the roads leading to Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, and vehicles are being halted and searched, and the identity of the passengers checked.
(From London it was reported today that the executive of the British Labor Party favors the admission of 75,000 Jews to Palestine in 1946 and will make representations to this effect to Prime Minister Attlee and Foreign Secretary Bevin.)
It was learned here today that High Commissioner Lord Gort urged the leaders of the Jewish Agency and of the Jewish National Council, whom he received yesterday. to use their utmost influence in securing the maintenance of order.
The evacuation of all United States troops from Palestine, which started today will be completed by Monday. In the meantime, Palestine was placed out of bounds for all American troops on leave. Only a small number of troops were involved in the sudden order received in Jerusalem yesterday to withdraw all U.S. forces from Palestine. An American liaison officer in Jerusalem stated this afternoon that it was wrong to suggest this evacuation was connected with present events in Palestine. The decision, he said, had been taken in the normal course of events.
Crowds of Arabs shouting “the curse of God upon the Zionists” merched through Demascus today, carrying banners proclaiming “To The Help Of Palestine.” The crowd dispersed quietly after leaders notified them there would be renewed demonstrations tomorrow and a general strike throughout the city.
Chairman of the Arab Land Redemption Fund Ahmed Hilmi Pasha, in a memorandum to Lord Gort today, asked for “firm measures” to counter “the challenge to Government authority” in Palestine. He said that recent incidents connected with “illegal” Jewish immigration would “arouse Arab fears and prompt the Arabs to rise in the defense of themselves and their homeland.”
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
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.
