Railways all over Palestine were placed under stringent curfew regulations today as tension continued unabated following five weeks of Arab disorders which have claimed 26 Jewish lives.
The curfew applies to fifteen metres on each side of all tracks and is intended to put an end to the frequent bombings and stonings of passenger trains that have made travel in Palestine in recent weeks dangerous.
Meanwhile, Christians joined Jews in evacuating the Old City of Jerusalem where tension is at its highest as the result of several murders by Arabs in the past few days. Only 200 Jewish families of a former Jewish population of 5,000 remained in the Old City. The Musrarah quarter and other mixed sections are completely bare of Jews.
Buses under police convey were running every two hours to the Old City, bringing food to the 200 Jewish families still left there.
ARAB MURDER SUSPECTS IN POLICE LINE-UP
With all the assassins responsible for the deaths of 26 Jews since April 19 still unapprehended, two Arabs arrested in an automobile in the Nashashibi quarter of the city appeared in the police line-up today on suspicion of complicity in the murder of three Polish Jews in front of the Edison Cinema Saturday night. Police said they found a pistol and nine rounds of ammunition on the driver.
The car alleged to have been used by the Arab gunman in the Edison murders was driven, together with six other cars, slowly before seven eyewitnesses of the slayings and unhesitatingly identified by five of them.
Defense of the two suspects was undertaken by Hassan Sidky el Dajany, prominent Moslem lawyer and leader of the Arab Defense Party who was recently fined $125 for having signed a manifesto urging Arabs not to pay taxes as part of a civil disobedience campaign sponsored by the Arab Supreme Council.
Incidents of violence continued meanwhile to be reported in Jerusalem and several sections of the country.
An Arab set fire to a privately owned automobile that was parked in front of the Jerusalem Post Office, which is heavily guarded by a special detail of soldiers.
JAFFA POLICE STATION BOMBED
An official communique announced that a Jaffa police station had been bombed during the day and shots were fired in Acre, Da Jan, Jen-in and other towns. Windows of the police station were smashed by the bomb explosion but no casualties were reported.
In Petach Tikva, Arabs set fire to 120 dunams of crops and escaped on horseback, firing at pursuing police.
Two Arabs were arrested at Herzlia when discovered carrying arms.
Two police inspectors were wounded by Arabs who stoned their car as it was passing through Safed.
An official communique last night said 814 Arabs and 53 Jews have been arrested in connection with the disorders since April 19. Those figures, it was stated, do not include violators of curfew regulations.
The communique reported a number of bombs thrown at Jaffa and one near the colony of Mikveh Israel. An exchange of shots took place between police and Arabs at Hedera and Beth Alpha.
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.
