The 12,000 Jews interned at Cyprus today enter?d on the third day of a hunger strike called on Friday when one Jew was killed by ?nards and several wounded when they demonstrated against a cut in the number of in?ernees to be returned to Palestine under the current monthly immigration quota.
According to reports from Nicosia, tension is still running high in the camps. ?ol. W.H. Widdecombe, the commanding officer of the Caraolos Camp, has asked for an immediate transfer in a gesture of sympathy with the refugees. Col. Widdecombe, who has been in charge of the camp since its establishment, said that at the present rate of immigration, some of the Jews will have to remain in Cyprus for 20 months. The internees have announced that if the full April quota of 750 is not returned to Palestine, none of them will sail.
Varying explanations were given for the cut in the immigration transport. One semi-official source said that only 375 of the 750 scheduled to be returned to Palestine would be allowed to leave because 375 refugees off the Susanna, which was beached near Gaza last month, had succeeded in escaping and had been hidden in Jewish settlements. Another report said that the cut was due to the damaging of two of the ferry vessels by mines.
JDC REPRESENTATIVE SAYS SHOOTINGS WERE “IRRESPONSIBLE, UNNECESSARY”
A full account of the incidents at Cyrpus was given today by a Joint Distribution Committee representative, who protested to the authorities against the “irresponsible and unnecessary shooting.” He revealed that after the cut in the April quota had been announced a delegation of the refugees conferred with the camp authorities, who rejected their protests.
A hunger strike was then proclaimed and peaceful demonstrations took place at the gates of all camps. All of these passed without incident, except at Camp No. 55, where the guards fired at the demonstrators, killing Moshe Lehrer, 30, from Poland and wounding Zev Fuchs, 22; Pinchas Tidur, 17; Yochanan Spias, 28; Zvi Yeglin, 25; Chaim Burstein, 16; Lea Witzner, 17, and Bela Blat, 19. Fuchs, who received a serious abdonominal wound, is still in a critical condition. All the others were hospitalized, but are recovering.
In a statement issued this afternoon, the Jewish Agency said the British and Palestine governments bear sole responsibility for whatever happens at Cyprus. It contrasted the official explanation that the shooting occurred after the refugees tried to set the camp gates afire with the version of the incident given by the JDC representative.
Meanwhile, unconfirmed reports said that another ship carrying 1,200 visaless immigrants is approaching the Palestine coast.
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