Palestine Sets Up Military Courts to Deal with Terrorists; Curfew in Old City

THE PALESTINE AUTHORITIES TODAY SET UP MILITARY COURTS EMPOWERED TO IMPOSE THE DEATH SENTENCE TO COPE WITH SPREADING ARAB TERRORISM CLIMAXED YESTERDAY BY THE SLAYING OF FIVE JEWISH LABORERS IN AN AMBUSCADE.

THE MURDERS WERE FOLLOWED BY THE FATAL SHOOTING OF AN UNIDENTIFIED ARAB AND THE WOUNDING OF SHEIKH ZAUDATH ANSARI, MOSLEM RELIGIOUS FUNCTIONARY, IN JERUSALEM TODAY, LEADING THE AUTHORITIES TO IMPOSE SEVEN O’CLOCK CURFEW ON THE OLD CITY AND LOCK THE GATES OF THE QUARTER.

MEANWHILE THE PALESTINE CHIEF RABBINATE PROCLAIMED NOV. 15 AS A DAY OF PRAYER THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY IN CONNECTION WITH THE CURRENT REIGN OF TERROR. MOSHE SHERTOK, HEAD OF THE POLITICAL DEPARTMENT OF THE JEWISH AGENCY, INTERVIEWED ACTING HIGH COMMISSIONER WILLIAM D. BATTERSHILL ON INCREASED PROTECTION FOR JEWISH SETTLEMENTS.

THE SHEIKH, FORMER CHIEF IMAM OF THE MOSQUE OF OMAR AND AN ENEMY OF THE FUGITIVE MUFTI OF JERUSALEM, WAS SHOT WHILE LEAVING THE HALLOWED MOSQUE. POLICE SURROUNDED THE MOSQUE AND BEGAN AN INTENSIVE SEARCH FOR THE ASSAILANT. THE SHEIKH IS 40 YEARS OLD.

TWO JEWS WERE ARRESTED ON SUSPICION OF THE MURDER OF THE UNIDENTIFIED ARAB, WHO WAS SHOT IN THE SCHNELLER QUARTER OF JERUSALEM AND LATER DIED.

ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE MILITARY COURTS CAME AS THE AUTHORITIES PRESSED A HUNT FOR THE SLAYERS OF FIVE JEWS NEAR KIRIAT ANAVIM. (THE NUMBER SLAIN WAS INCORRECTLY REPORTED YESTERDAY AS SIX AS A RESULT OF CONFUSION ARISING FROM THE FACT THAT ONE OF THE VICTIMS, MOSHE BARGIORA, ALSO HAD THE NAME OF BAUMGARTEN, AND THE NAMES WERE LISTED SEPARATELY.) TEN ARAB SUSPECTS WERE ARRESTED IN ADDITION TO THREE YESTERDAY, AND THREE HOUSES IN THE ARAB VILLAGE OF YALU, TO WHICH THE MURDER BAND WAS TRACKED, WERE MARKED FOR DYNAMITING.

THE COURTS, WHICH WILL BEGIN FUNCTIONING NOV. 18, WILL EACH COMPRISE A FIELD OFFICER AS PRESIDENT AND TWO OTHER ARMY OFFICERS. THEY WILL HAVE AUTHORITY TO IMPOSE THE DEATH SENTENCE FOR DISCHARGE OF FIREARMS, POSSESSION OF ARMS OR BOMBS, AND FOR ACTS OF SABOTAGE.

SENTENCES WILL BE CONFIRMED BY THE GENERAL OFFICER COMMANDING BRITISH TROOPS (MAJOR-GENERAL ARCHIBALD P. WAVELL), FROM WHOSE DECISION THERE WILL BE NO APPEAL. AN OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT SAID THE COURTS WERE CREATED TEMPORARILY FOR REASONS OF PUBLIC SECURITY.

ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE MEASURE EMPHASIZED THAT THE COURTS WERE BEING ESTABLISHED SOLELY TO SUPPRESS THE DISTURBANCES AND WERE NOT DUE TO ANY FAILURE ON THE PART OF THE CIVIL COURTS, WHICH WILL CONTINUE TO DEAL WITH OTHER OFFENSES.

A TRUCK CARRYING WORKERS OF THE PALESTINE POTASH COMPANY WAS FIRED UPON ON THE JERICHO ROAD, BUT NO CASUALTIES WERE REPORTED. A VOLLEY OF SHOTS WAS FIRED INTO A JEWISH HOUSE IN THE MEKOR BARUCH QUARTER OF JERUSALEM.