News Brief

The Zionist headquarters here was in receipt this morning of a cablegram from the Zionist Executive in Jerusalem requesting its intervention with the Colonial Office against the orders issued by the Palestine authorities to disarm the specially enrolled Jewish constables and the Jewish self-defense body. The message declared that the order, under the conditions still prevailing in Palestine was premature and may create a more dangerous situation for the Jews of Palestine.

The despatch charged that while the Jews were being disarmed, the Palestine authorities enrolled fifty Felaheen who were formely members of the Transjordanian Frontier Force, many of whom are residents of the village Lifta near Jerusalem, the hot-bed of the Moslem anti-Jewish agitation.

The Gevernor of Jerusalem, Mr. Keith-Roach, attempted today to convene a meeting of the Jerusalem Municipal Council in which Jews and Moslems are represented. The spokesman for the Zionist Executive in Jerusalem declared that he considered it premature to call such a meeting as the Jewish leaders of Jerusalem cannot be expected at the present moment to sit at the same table with certain Arab members. He suggested that during the emergency the Governor manage the affairs of the municipality.

More casualties among the Jewish population of Haifa, with a large number of wounded, are reported from there, where the Moslem Arabs perpetrated new attacks on the Jews on Tuesday. The leaders of the Jewish community in Haifa have complained of the great difficulty they encounter in obtaining the cooperation of the authorities. The Haifa barracks were burned down. Some of the inhabitants of the barracks were shot. The habitation was looted. Many parts of Haifa were evacuated by the Jewish groups who are being concentrated in the suburb Hadar Ha’Carmel.

The troops are being replaced by marines who were landed Tuesday morning at Haifa from a battleship. An order was issued immediately prohibiting the inhabitants to go abroad on the streets, the Zionist Executive was informed. Two more Jews who were wounded in Haifa on Monday, died Tuesday.

QUIET IN TEL AVIV AND JAFFA

In Tel Aviv and Jaffa quiet prevails. Mr. A. R. Oofien, manager of the Anglo-Palestine Bank, after touring the city recommended the commencement of normal business on Wednesday. The government also permitted a Russian boat to land emigrants at Jaffa on Tuesday.

Jaffa Arab merchants approached Jewish leaders with proposals of “peace.”

Two Arab families were found killed in Jaffa on Tuesday. It was said that they were killed during the Jewish counter-attack.

A deputation of Moslem Arabs called on the Acting High Commissioner Tuesday protesting against the alleged general arming of the Jewish population. It was assumed that this call was the cause of the consequent order for disarming the special constables.

Much confusion and loss of time is caused by the continuous changes in the command. At first the Palestine police was in command of the situation. Later it was the Royal Air Force, then the infantry regiment. As the situation is now the command is divided; in some places the naval authorities are in charge.

The Zionist headquarters in London were further informed by the Zionist Executive of Jerusalem that it has approached the Palestine government with a request to officially deny the rumor published in some London newspapers that the Friday riots were started when some Jews threw a bomb at the Moslem demonstration. The Palestine government declared that it cannot possibly believe that such a rumor was spread since its report to the Colonial Office transmitted the facts in the case and these reports contained no mention of any such allegation.

The report laid special emphasis on the need of adequate protection for the Jewish population as the Moslem Arabs are in possession of ample Arab police protection. The General in command when appealed to in regard to the order to disarm told the Zionist spokesman that the order was issued by the Acting High Commissioner and must be obeyed.