News Brief

The danger of a Bedouin invasion into Palestine from the north has virtually passed, it appeared following a joint conference of representatives of the British and French mandatory authorities held at Safed, Monday. The conference was attended by the commander of the British troops in Palestine, the assistant commandant of the Palestine police, and a French military attache from Syria.

It is reported that arrangements have been made for stationing 400 French troops at Tabgha on the Sea of Galilee. Bedouin tribes quartering in the region were ordered to withdraw five kilometers behind the Palestine-Syrian borderline. The military forces continue to tighten up the situation within the country.

A detachment of 400 soldiers is reported to have surrounded the city of Nablus, a center of Arab agitation, for the purpose of making a house to house search for weapons. Forty-five arrests were made, and among the prisoners are many Arab intellectuals who are accused of anti-government agitation.

British guards who were stationed at the houses of foreign consuls were withdrawn. Armored cars which were called from Amman, Transjordania, to help the Palestine authorities during the disorders, returned to their station, as did the Transjordanian Bedouins who left their encampments for the purpose of marauding in Palestine.

The situation at Acre has quieted down sufficiently to restore the confidence of the inhabitants, and some Jewish families who had evacuated their homes have returned. Similarly, conditions have become more stabilized at Haifa, where many Jewish families who evacuated their homes in the Arab quarter are returning, but not to such houses where the landlords are Arabs. This situation made it necessary to construct 120 huts on (Continued on Page 4)

Mount Carmel to shelter the homeless families.

AMERICAN CONSUL PROCEEDS TO HEBRON

Mr. Paul Knabenshue, American Consul General at Jerusalem, accompanied by Rabbi Moses Mordecai Epstein, head of the Slobodka Yeshiva at Hebron, where eight American students were killed together with 41 others, proceeded to Hebron today to personally inspect the scene of the massacre. He will investigate the damages, especially to American citizens.

The Polish Consul notified all Polish citizens to submit statements of damages through the Polish-Palestine Chamber of Commerce and the Union of Polish Jews.

An incident which attracted wide attention in Jerusalem was the appearance of four Arabs who came from Hebron, draped in Taleisim, Jewish prayer shawls. It is believed that they disguised themselves with the purpose of selling watermelons and eggs to Jews.

When they were recognized by Jews, the Arabs escaped. The Taleisim which they wore was undoubtedly part of the loot taken from Jewish homes in Hebron.

Jewish and Arab merchants of Jerusalem are united in demanding of the High Commissioner that he post guards in the commercial districts and enable the resumption of trade.

A meeting of merchants was held at the Chamber of Commerce. The delegation which proceeded to the High Commissioner with the demand included three representatives of the Chamber of Commerce and six others.

Sir John Chancellor yesterday visited the Hadassah hospital accompanied by Colonel Heron. The High Commissioner inspected all wards where those wounded in the riots lie and expressed his deep sympathy for them.

A Jew who was accused of firing at the French Consul’s automobile was released today due to lack of evidence. The prisoner was kept chained in solitary confinement for a fortnight.

Searches in Jewish houses and arrests of Jews are continuing. Three employees of the firm Miller and Sons of Haifa were arrested yesterday. Ten Jews charged with possessing arms were arrested in Jerusalem. Two were released on £50 fine each, one was fined £20 and another was fined £15. Two were released without bail and three were remanded for trial.

Ninety Arab prisoners, among whom there are the perpetrators of the gruesome crimes at Safed, were taken to the citadel of Acre. That not all guilty were apprehended is shown by the complaints of Jews that villagers who returned from Safed openly displayed loot which Jews recognized as their property.

Many Arab lawyers volunteered to defend three Arab notables of Tul Kerem, who are facing trial for incitement to riot. Among the accused is the Mayor of Tul Kerem, who is a member of the Palestine Arab Executive Committee.

TRACES OF MORE JEWISH DEAD FOUND

The skull of the Jewish farmer Filner of the settlement Ain Zeithim, near Safed, was found during the clearing away of the debris at the colony, which suffered heavy losses during the Arab attack. The bones of his wife were also discovered there. Most of the settlers of Ain Zeithim escaped to Safed, but three were missing, Filner, his wife and an unknown young man It is surmised that they were burned to death.

BRITISH JEWS SUBMIT PROTEST AGAINST DISARMING

A vigorous protest against discrimination shown by the Palestine authorities during the height of the crisis in the country was submitted to the High Commissioner for transmission to the Colonial Office by a group of British Jews who reside in Palestine. The protest states that the authorities disarmed the British Jews at the time when they allowed non-Jews to retain their arms and to serve as special constables.

DAMAGES PAID TO ARAB VILLAGE

The Palestine government paid the amount of £250 damages to an Arab village near Beth Alpha where the British troops killed one Arab, wounded another and killed some cattle during the shooting which, it now appeared, was unnecessary, states a report in the Hebrew labor daily “Davar.” The paper wonders “whether we shall witness such promptness in Hebron and Safed.”

The well-informed Arab daily “Ebakdam” of Jaffa predicts in its issue today that Sir John Chancellor will issue another proclamation expressing regret to the Arabs who supposedly misunderstood his first proclamation. He will probably add that he only regards the murderers and marauders as criminals, not the whole Arab population, says the paper.

HEBRON VICTIMS TO BE EXHUMED TODAY

The bodies of the Hebron victims will be exhumed early Wednesday morning in the presence of physicians and a Minyan, the required quorum of ten men under Jewish ritual.

The exhumation follows presentations by the Rabbinate to Sir John Chancellor that the grave in which they were buried was too shallow and that it had been dug by non-Jews.

ARABS CONTINUE COUNTER ACCUSATIONS, SEEK TO SHUNT BLAME

A delegation of the Arab Executive called on Sir John Chancellor this afternoon and made to him the statement that “the alleged crimes were committed by Jews.”

The High Commissioner replied that all available evidence would be placed before the Commission appointed by the British government.

The Commission of Inquiry is expected to arrive in Palestine about September 20. The members will visit all the scenes of the rioting, particularly Safed.

The sale of arms is said to be flourishing in the country. Rifles, revolvers and daggers are being smuggled in from Transjordania.

Fifty Arab prisoners were brought to Jerusalem from Hebron today under military escort. They will be tried soon.

BEN AVI TO SUE GRAND MUFTI FOR LIBEL

A suit for libel against the Grand Mufti for a statement he made in the interview he gave to Reuter’s News Agency in which the head of the Moslem Supreme Council made charges that the Jews had instigated the riots, will be brought by Ittamar Ben Avi, Hebrew publicist and editor of the “Palestine Weekly.” Mr. Ben Avi will bring suit against the Mufti for declaring that he, Mr. Ben Avi had warned Vladimir Jabotinsky, leader of the Zionist Revisionists, that his policy would lead to bloodshed.

RINGLEADER OF HEBRON MASSACRE ARRESTED

Sheik Daleb-Marka, ringleader in the Hebron massacre, where more than sixty Jews were killed, was arrested during the preliminary inquiry conducted at Hebron whereby an attempt is being made to identify the murderers.

Jewish witnesses were taken from Jerusalem to Hebron in special cars to testify before Government Prosecutor Kermack. The witnesses include Orphans whose parents were massacred.

Evidence submitted points to the guilt of a prominent Moslem family in Hebron in the murder of E. D. Slonim and his family. The head of this family is suspected of having violated Slonim’s wife before his eyes.