A threat that British troops may Tie brought back into Tel Aviv if the Jewish Agency does not suppress the dissident elements was made by High Commissioner Sir Alan G. Cunningham to Agency chairman David Ben Gurion at their interview yesterday, it was unofficially reported here today in Jewish circles, in Agency spokesman, commenting on the parley, merely said that a wide range of political and security questions were discussed.
The first crisis in the Provisional Council of Government of the Jewish state appeared to be developing today when it was learned that the United Labor Party, recently formed by a merger of the left-wing Hashomer Hatzair and the L’Achduth ?oda, has demanded greater representation on the Council and the Cabinet on the basis of its strength in the last national elections. The party has been assigned three members on the Council, but is demanding three portfolios in the Cabinet and five members in the Council.
An Agency spokesman, revealing the party composition of the Council and Cabinet it a press conference, stated that the actual number of Cabinet members has not been decided and may be 11, 12 or 13. He disclosed that the 32-man council will include ?2 members of the Agency resident in Palestine, 14 members of the Jewish National Council, two Agudists, two Revisionists, one Communist and one representative of the Sephardic community.
While the Agency prepared to meet either late today or tomorrow to ratify the alliance between the Haganah and the Irgun, it was learned that the agreement reached between the two military groups was not a merger but a program for coordination of activities. The two groups are to remain independent, but the Haganah will hold supreme command and the Irgun has agreed to halt its attacks on the British.
There was a burst of activity on the Tel Aviv-Jaffa front today with Arabs and Jews exchanging heavy machine gun and mortar fire. Earlier, at dawn, a section of track of the rail line between the two cities was blown up by the Haganah and one of the major road entrances to the Jewish city was blasted in an attempt to keep marauding Arab bands and British armored cars and troops out.
A Jewish bus vas abandoned by its driver and passengers several miles south of Jerusalem when it was attacked by mine, incendiary bomb and small arms fire. Later, the slightly damaged vehicle wad stolen by the Arabs. It was reported that the Arabs have stolen 15 government vehicles, including two armored police cars, within the last 36 hours. Meanwhile, two Jewish armored cars have been confiscated by the police.
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.
