A new “arms trial” opened in a military court here today with seven Jewish settlers of the Hulda colony charged with illegal possession of 88 mortar bombs and 85 ballistae cartridges which were discovered during a search by Polish troops for deserters from the Polish forces in Palestine.
Two of the seven accused, Jacob Mass and Jacob Galata, pleaded guilty at the opening session of the court today at which Brigadier A. A. Allen, the military commander of the Hulda area, appeared as first witness. He was followed on the witness stand by Police Inspector Hacket who revealed that more than 100 armed policemen participated in the raid on Hulda, in addition to British and Polish troops.
Explaining that he “acted upon instructions,” Brigadier Allen told the court that on October 31 he sent British soldiers to surround the Hulda colony and assist the Polish Army in its search for deserters. “No deserters were found,” the British commander testified, “but later the police arrived and discovered arms which were laying unhidden in a shed in the settlement.”
The police, Brigadier Allen continued, asked the head of the settlement for an explanation as to these arms, but received no satisfactory reply. A large number of settlers, including women, then started shouting and obstructed the police in carrying out their duties. Whereupon the British soldiers were ordered to assist the police in dispersing the crowd and in removing the arms.
SETTLERS EXPLAIN NEED OF ARMS; CITE ARAB RIOTS
Cross-examined by defense attorney David Goiten, the British commander admitted that he had later received a letter from the Hulda settlers apologizing and explaining their conduct. The letter pointed out that Hulda had a tragic history. It was utterly burned down during the Arab disturbances of 1929. Three years later it was reestablished, but then it was again destroyed, this time losing seventeen members. After re-establishing itself for the second time, the colony sent twenty-two of its young men into active service in the British armed forces.
Police Inspector Hacket, appearing as the second witness, confirmed the testimony of Brigadier Allen. He also confirmed the fact that Hulda was burned down during Arab riots and that Jews were killed there and Jewish property looted. The inspector also revealed that at one time the settlers in Hulda had been out off from the rest of the country by Arab bands and had to be supplied with food by airplane. “The Hulda settlement,” he said, “is isolated because there are no paved roads leading to it and because it can be reached only by passing through Arab villages.”
Asked by the president of the court whether the Jewish Auxiliary Police in Hulda assisted the police in the search for arms, Inspector Hacket said that he did not order them to do so. He added that the settlement police are maintained by the settlement and receive their training there. The trial is being presided over by Major Russell Laurence and Capt. Threadwill is acting as prosecutor. Major Lawrence presided during the trial in which Leib Sirkin and Abraham Rachlin were sentenced to 10 and seven years, respectively, for alleged gun running.
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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.
