ADMITS BUYING EXPLOSIVES

Chronicle (Levin), 12 January 1948, Page 5

ADMITS BUYING EXPLOSIVES

lieceived Sunday, 7.35 p.m. k'EW YOKlv, Jan. 10. ALr. Eeonar V eisman, a A'ew Yorki businessman, today identilied the .JewisJi Agency for Palestine as the purchaser of nearly I'tJU tons of the high explosives that the poiice sei^ed while it was being stored for eventuai shipment to Palestine. Mr. Weisiuan, who was questioned by the Federal Bureau of investigation, toki the press afterwards that lie had helped to buy explosives for a Haganah agent who arrived at New Yoriv from Palestine in Decemb-er to buy munitions and other war equipment. Mr. Weismau said the explosives lie helped to buy were those seized in the last few days and not those seized aboard the freighters at Jersey City last week. The explosives lie was coucerned with had been advertised for sale by the War Assets Administratiou as "suitable for export." He considered it an honour as an American and a Jew, legally to procure the means of self defence of the Palestine Jews against marauding Arabs arined with British weapons. A Jewish Agency spokesman said steps were taken to arrange the legitimate purchases of war surplus material and equipment in the Pnited States to rush to Palestine in view of the threatened Arab aggression. It had been the Agency 's understanding tliroughout that all such purchases and transportation were in full confofniity "witlx American law. Kepresentative James Auehincloss { Republican, Xew Jersey) said he was demanding an explanation from the War Secretarv and War Assets Administration on why the explosives were being declared surplus and being sokl and transjiorted around the country to Ihe ])eril of the citi?.ens. (The Pnited States, a few weeks ago, banned the shipment of arms to the Middle East).