Britain Wants Clear Road In Palestine

Chronicle (Levin), 3 February 1947, Page 5

Britain Wants Clear Road In Palestine

SUPPRESSION OF TERRORISM LONDON, Jan. 31. The British High Commissioner in Palestine (General Sir Alan Ounningham) today ordered the evacnation of all British women and children from Palestine. A '(•overnment spokesman announcs ed that the evacnation would be • eompleted bv February 4. General Cimningham's order stated : "Following recent events, it has been decided that British women and children and certain other British civilians will be evaeuated, so that the Government armed forces will not be hampered in the task of maintaining order. A I'nrther order has been issued that, for the tiine being, 110 Britisli women will be allowed to enter Palestine. _The wives and children of British eivil servants are to be repatriated to England. The military anthorities have elosed the Arniy canteens and clubs in Jerusalem and confined members of the Anxiliarv Transpoi't Service, all of wliom are women, to barracks. As night fell in the Holy Land, all British citizens, ineluding hurtdrods of wives and ehildren, hnd been moved into protected areas behind triple banks of barbed wire, says the Jerusa )em correspondent of the Daily Mail. Thev are protected l'rom a surprise attaek by terrorists bv troops armed with tommyguns. The Government 's deeision to evaeh ate all women and children has cfeated a storm of protests in Palestine frorn people directly concerned. .lerusalem messages say ihat the British' Comniun ity Couneil in Jerusalem has protested to' the British Prime Minister (Mr, Attlee) against the def-ision, and has asked for support from Mr. Churchill, the Arehbishop of Canterbury and otliers. A spokesman of the British business interests in the. community called the deeision "a policy of scuttle and surrender to terrosism". British schools in Palestine will not re-open unfil February 3. The women and children will be transported by Army lorries to Sarafand Camp, 30 miles southeast of Tel Aviv, and from there thev will move as transport becomes avaiiaole to embarxing points in the Guez C'anal Zone.