Three Jews were seriously wounded and three American military policemen were injured in a clash between 3,000 displaced Jews in the Haid DP camp near Linz, and 200 MP’s last Thursday afternoon, informed Jewish circles disclosed here today. According to the military police version one Jew was shot in the arm and two American soldiers were injured by stones.
The clash occurred after a visit last Thursday morning by Rabbi Philip S. Bernstein, adviser on Jewish affairs to American forces in Europe, who found the displaced Jews tearing down several barracks to obtain firewood to heat the remaining barracks in which they were living. The commander of the camp informed Rabbi Bernstein that there was sufficient coal available for heating purposes and, when Dr. Bernstein departed, the commander summoned the military police to arrest the Jews who had ripped apart the barracks.
In the resulting melee shots were fired by the troops who drove the Jews into their barracks and arrested ten persons. The official version of the incident is that one Jew was wounded when he attempted to wrest a rifle from a soldier. When an ambulance was called, the military police report says, the angry DP’s staned it, injuring two soldiers and bruising a third.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
