Jews Object To Release Of Transjordan Army

Chronicle (Levin), 15 May 1948, Page 5

Jews Object To Release Of Transjordan Army

Rocoived Fridav. 7 p.m. NEW YORK, .May t:5. Thc .Towirsh Agenrv infonned tho Unitod Xations Soi-urity rouncil tonight 011 tho ove of tho proolamat ,ion of thc Jewish State that Britain had rolinquishcd conimand of tho powerful Transjordan Arab Logion, leaving lt frcc to fight the Jews. The Agency appealed to ihe rouncil to take inmiediato steps to provont an onslaught nv thc Legion which is the strongest Arai) army in existonce, and by Iraqi troops which, liko the Legion, are nnder King AbduIIah's eommand. Tlie Jewish Agency spokesnian sani the action was a glnring contradic'lion of repeatod British a.ssuraiices that the Legion would be withdrawn before the mandate was relinquished. He adtod that ihe Legion had not only not been pullod out of the Holv Land, hut already was fighting the Jews at Kfar Etzion south of Hebron. The General Assembly's politieal committee tonight considered tlie amerided Aineriean proposal to soiul a L'nited Xations inediator to Palestine to try to promote peace between Jews and Arabs, to try to arrange contimnty Of the oo milton public services in Palestine, and report regularlv to tlie Se.curity rouncil and the SecretarvGeneral (Mr. Trvgve Lie). The inediator would have no power beyond the Unitod Xations' moral weight. Another sub-committee adopted a French-American proposal for the appointment of a special commission for Jerusalem (distiuct from Mr. Evans, who will act as "neutral" Mayor) with powers to try to reeruit police. The Arab Higher Committee inforniod tlie Politieal Committee today that it had agreed with the Jews to a trucp covering all Jerusalem and guaranteeing Jews aecess to the Wailmg Wall, one of their holiest places. Mr. Marshall's Warning. The Pnited Press 's Washington eorres])ondent reports that the Secretary of State (Mr. George Marshall) last week in tallts with Mr. Moshe Hliertok, Poreign Minister designate of the proposed Jewish Government, and rcpresentatives of the Arab League, advised thein against proclaiining sovereign States after the termination oi tlie British mandate. He is reliablv report ed to have tohi both sides that it they proclaimed their sovercignty tliey woubi henceforth be ''on their own. ' Mr. Trvgve Lie has received the following cablegram from King Aiidullali of Transjordan: " We protest against Jewish armed organisations attacking Arab territorv in tho vicinitv of Taikarm and the horribie aggression inflicted upon Beisan town. This actual ]>rovocation if continued will render the situation more coniplicated. " Jews Prepare for 10,000 Immigrants The Jewish authonties are making hastv preparations for tlie arrival of an estimated 10,000 Jews aboard tlie PauYork and the Pan -Creseent, which are expected on Monday. The Hagannaii vill call np all young men as they arrive. | lt is authoritatively stated that Britain adheres to her intentiou to retuni to Transjordan before inidnighL tomorrow those units of tlie Transjordan Arab Legion which have been Serving in Palestine under British comI'.and. Politieal quarters thonght the question was now aeademic, sinee it could be takou for granted that sueh units would roturn to Palestine immeuiately al'terwards. Hostilities in Various Sectors. Jews altacked the Arab village of Antipatris, 011 the eoastal plain, while Arabs iired 011 a Jewish armoured bils near Latrun. Earlier, Jews opened lire on the Latrun police station, and British units in the area replied with tank and arlillery tire. The road in Eastern Galilee between Xablus, the Arai) town, and the Jewish settlement of Afula, was blown up, prepumablv by Arabs to prevent a possibJe Jewish attempt to move southward into Ihe Arab triagle ot' Jenin, Xablus and Tulkarm. Reuter 's Tel Aviv correspondent reports that Hagauuah forees began pioving into Jaffa today following tlie 'Arab snrrender yesterday.

A eommunique from Arab hcaclquarters 111 Damascus elaimed that the Jewish forees lost 800 killed or woundeo at Bab el Wad, 14 iniles from Jerusalem whore a battle was fought for possession of ihe Jewish supply route to tho eoast.