Refugee Vessel Brought into Haifa Harbor by British Destroyers; 1,300 Jews Aboard

The Panamanian vessel Beauharnois, renamed the Jewish Wedgwood for its present voyage, entered Haifa harbor tonight at 8 o’clock under escort of four British destroyers. Aboard were 1,300 visaless Jewish refugees.

The ship, which began its career as a United States naval corvette, was apprehended 100 miles outside of Palestine last night. She steamed toward Haifa under escort until about 3 a.m. this morning, when her captain, reported to be an American named Lichtman, notified the commanders of the escorting vessels that his engines had stopped.

When an officer from one of the escorts came aboard he was told that the passengers refused to enter the harbor unless the authorities promised that the vessel would be allowed to leave after it disembarked the refugees. The captain said that if the arrivals are to be deducted from the regular immigration quota, they are legal immigrants and the ship is not liable to confiscation. He refused to resume under his own power, and the ship drifted until 1:30 p.m.

After an attempt by the refugees to disembark into lifeboats, by means of landing nets thrown over the sides, was thwarted by the destroyers which placed themselves between the ship and the shore, the Wedgwood’s engines were started shortly after 1:30 and it proceeded in the direction of Haifa. During the afternoon it made an attempt to evade the escorts, but was forced by the latter, which barred its way, to sail into Haifa harbor.

The passengers, among whom are many pregnant women and a large number of children, are expected to disembark tomorrow morning. They will be taken to the Athlit clearance camp. While they were still en route to Haifa several officials of the Jewish Agency boarded the vessel from a motorboat to confer with them.