Nearly Third of Balfour Forest Wiped out by Fire; Damage Put at $150,000

THE FIRE THAT SWEPT THE BALFOUR FOREST IN THE NAZARETH HILLS YESTERDAY DESTROYED NEARLY A THIRD OF ITS 250,000 TRESS AND CAUSED DAMAGES OF $150,000, IT WAS ESTIMATED TODAY.

THE JEWISH NATIONAL FUND, ON WHOSE LAND THE FOREST STANDS, ANNOUNCED IT WOULD START REPLANTING AT ONCE. THE GOVERNMENT, THE FUND SAID, IS BEING ASKED TO MEET THE COST AND TO GUARANTEE FUTURE PROTECTION.

THE FIRE, MOST SPECTACULAR IN YEARS, BROUGHT GRIEF AND INDIGNATION TO THE JEWISH COMMUNITY. BELIEVED TO HAVE BEEN SET BY ARAB TERRORISTS IN THE CAMPAIGN AGAINST PARTITION OF PALESTINE, IT RAGED FOUR HOURS BEFORE BEING CHECKED BY THE COMBINED EFFORTS OF NEIGHBORING JEWISH COLONISTS, POLICE FROM NAZARETH, AFULEH AND HAIFA, AND FIRE BRIGADES FROM HADAR HACARMEL, UNDER THE PERSONAL DIRECTION OF THE DISTRICT COMMISSIONER. AT ITS HEIGHT, THE BLAZE LIT UP HALF OF THE JEZREEL VALLEY.

POLICE DOGS PICKED UP THE TRAIL OF THE SUSPECTED INCENDIARIES, WHICH LED TO THE ARAB VILLAGE OF YAFETIL, NEAR NAZARETH. AN ARAB CARRYING A GERMAN RIFLE WAS ARRESTED ON SUSPICION OF PARTICIPATING IN TUESDAY’S AMBUSH OF A PALESTINE POTASH COMPANY CONVOY DURING WHICH A JEWISH WORKMAN WAS KILLED.

INCREASED TENSION RESULTING FROM THE FIRE AND THE LATEST KILLINGS OF JEWS BROUGHT STATEMENTS URGING JEWS TO MAINTAIN THEIR SELF-RESTRAINT, ISSUED BY THE JEWISH NATIONAL COUNCIL AND CHIEF RABBIS JACOB MEIR AND ISAAC HERTZOG. THE RABBINICAL LEADERS CALLED ON ALL CLASSES OF THE JEWISH COMMUNITY TO REMAIN CALM AND NOT TO "STAIN THE DEAR MEMORIES OF THE FALLEN" BY REPRISALS.

AN ATTEMPT TO BURN THE NEW ARAB GOVERNMENT SCHOOL AT HAIFA WAS FRUSTRATED WHEN WATCHMEN SWIFTLY EXTINGUISHED A FIRE.

THE AUTHORITIES WARNED ARAB NOTABLES OF GAZA AND MIGDAL THAT THEY WOULD BE SENT TO CONCENTRATION CAMPS AND THEIR HOMES DYNAMITED UNLESS THEY DISCLOSED THE WHEREABOUTS OF SABOTEURS.