British Army Officers In New Role

Chronicle (Levin), 24 June 1947, Page 5

British Army Officers In New Role

Press Assn.

By Telegraph

-Copyright

JERUSALEM, June 22. A groilp of aboitt 3(3 Army officers, fOCnier paratrOopers, .eonunandos and underground resistanee movement speeialists, have aliegedly been operating their own ' 'column" in the war against Jewish terrorists. One report says that a major purge of the police administration is' about to ,take plaee and that the police have instituted a board Of inquiry. These ' ' operational columns ' ' are re ported to have toured Palestine eities in civilian clothes, seeking terrorists. If they eaught one, the ' ' column operatives" wollld a-ttempt to obtain infor mation about. the terrorists' leaders. One British brigadier who fought with General Wingate 's Chindits pub licly admitted "leading an anti-terror column. He added that he had been ' 'saelced." These reports follow the arrest and escape of Major Royal Alexander Far rau in connection with the disappear ance on May G of a Jewish youth named Alexander Rubowitz. Kidnapping Attempt. Jewish terrorists, two men and one wonian, tried unsuecessfully to kidnap a British p'olice offlcer at a bookshop in the centre of Jerusalem today. They then threatened the officer with revol vers and attempted to chloroform him Another British officer, who was puss ing, saw the struggliug group and sig nalled a police ear. All the terrorists escaped. The bookshop was crowded with cus tomers at the time. An attendant said one gunman held him at the p'oint of a revol ver while the other attacked the police officer. There was conf'usion and shouting. Oue shot was fired. The would-be kidnappers ruslied away sec onds before the police burst througn the door.