The State Department has reprimanded the Czechoslovak Government for allegedly permitting arms and other war materiel to be routed through its territory to Israel, a Department spokesman today confirmed to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Previously, the Department had denied reports that the American embassy in Prague had made representations to Czechoslovakia on this point.
The spokesman said that the U.S. has sent a protest through U.N. mediator Count Folke Bernadotte, asserting that permitting an arms traffic with Israel violated the Security Council truce provisions. The State Department official said that the U.S. also made representations to the Czech Government’ asking that it locate three Americans who are said to he engaged in flying planes and other materiel from Czechoslovakia to Israel.
The State Department is seeking the three Americans in order to revoke their passports and force them to return home, but does not know the whereabouts of the airmen. The spokesman said that he knew of no plans to apply sanctions against Czechoslovakia if the three are not located.
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