Reports to U.N. on Food Shortage in Jerusalem; Lames Palestine Government

The Palestine Government was blamed today for the gravity of the food situation in the Jewish section of Jerusalem in a memoranda submitted to the U.N. Palestine Commission by Moshe Shertok, in behalf of the Jewish Agency. The memorandum asks the Commission to use its good offices to request a British authorities in Palestine to assume responsibility of convoying supplies Jerusalem until the termination of the Mardate.

“We are constrained to call the attention of the United Nations Palestine Commission to the increasing gravity of the food situation in Jerusalem where 100,000 ##s are threatened with starvation as the result of the indifference says. “Primary responsibility for the depletion of Jerusalem’s food supply must rest with the Manda##y Power which, despite its pledges and protestations, has utterly failed to amin## In law and order in the highways.

“Press reports from Palestine emanating from official British sources allege at the Jewish Agency has refused to cooperate with the Mandatory Government in arranging for the adequate protection of such convoys. Such reports,” the memorandum continues, “are apparently inspired to divert attention from the facts and thus to innervate the Mandatory Government from its responsibility. We have sough information on this subject from Jerusalem and are now able to inform the Commission that see reports are untrue. The facts are as follows:

“1. The Mandatory Government has not offered to escort food convoys in Jerusalem, nor has nit stipulated any conditions under which such escort might be provided. Since November 29 the Mandatory Government has never acknowledged a duty a protect vehicles bringing food to Jerusalem. The Jewish vehicles undertaking this ##urney were for several weeks Salted, searched and sometimes disarmed by British security forces. This practice has now ceased and the present position is that the ###atory Government no longer obstructs the journey of food convoys to Jerusalem, at it takes no active members to facilitate their safe arrival.“2. Whatever food new reaches Jerusalem for the Jewish population arrives through the efforts and usually through the self-sacrifice of Jewish defenders. Only ###ay it is reported from Jerusalem that a fifty-truck Jewish convey finally entered Jerusalem after battling its way through Arab forces which attempted to block its ####.“3. Mr. F.M. Graves, a British official, chairman of the Jerusalem Monistic Commission, appointed by the High commissioner, informed the press on March 3, ###,#### the Commission had not taken any special steps to assure the food supply Jerusalem. Mr. Graves expressed himself as satisfied by the statements of the government Food Controller the supply of foodstuffs was adequate for the next #### months, i.e., till the end of May.

“4. We are informed that the President of the V##d Leumi has called on Mr. ####### to communicate to him the facts about the dangerous depletion of Jerusalem’s #### supplies. The president of the V##d Laumi has suggested that the U.N. Advance ##ty was its good offices to request the Mandatory Power to assume the responsibility of conveying supplies to Jerusalem until the termination of the monists. For the ####ary Government to ###### the from operation of Arab bands, whom av##ed##### in the starvation of any government worthy of the name. The Jewish Agency fully ####ts the #### Leumi’s suggestion and expressed the hope that the Commission will ## its influence to secure the fulfillment of its request.”