JEW APPEAL AGAINST EVACUATION PLAN

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5319, 4 February 1947, Page 5

JEW APPEAL AGAINST EVACUATION PLAN

t Ptp.rs Assn-

ACCEPf RESPONSIBILITY request to let women and children remain

—Rec. 9.S0 v.m .)

JERUSALEM, Feb. 3. Mrs. Golda Meyerson, head of the Jewish Agency's politicaj department, appealed to the British Government to reconsider the decision to evacuate British women and children from Palestine. "The Jewish community will be happy to make itself responsible for any British women aa(l children placed in its care," she said. The Jewish Agency had asked the Palestine Government not to put into operati"" at this moment any largeseale seheine, said Mrs. Meyerson. The a^eney stipulated that the threatened impositinn of martial law would affect mainiy Tel Aviv, Ramatgan and petuchtikvah. ghe reiterated that the agency and palestine Jewry desired to end terrorism, hui they refused to appeal to Palestine Jews to beeome informers. Ilaganah Will Assist A Ilaeae.ah spokesman said that Hapanah eould stamp out terrorist ffroinis i:' the Government would not iiiteri'ere. Ile added: "Our people will not muve unless they are sure there will !e no interference. Haganah's battle pia!.:- are ready. b'Jt Haganah will nut i-o-operate with the Palestine Govenunent while it follows a policy of martial law. Even threats of militarv aetitiH would interfere with any plars we have drafted to deal with dissiilents." Jli. Asher Levitsky, Dov Gruner's solieitnr. aet ing on a cable from Gruner's sister, Mrs. Helen Friedman, of Pennsylvania, saw the Chief Rabbi, askinw h : nr to request Gruner to sign an arneal to the Privy Couneil. Gruner's exeeution will 'probably be at ti a.nt. on Tuesday. Ir is oiTieially announced that the judy.es have heen instructed not to make any more court appearanees in Tel Aviv. The eourts will be transferreii t the security areas. Restraining Order Sought Over Gruner Hanging JERUSALEM, February 3. A later message says that Dov Gruner's e-.unsel has appealed to the* Hiyh Court for an order restraining the pris-.r: a.thorities from hanging Gruner unti! the Hiyh Commissioner, Lieutenant-General Cunningham, reviews the death sentence already con- [ iirme'l General Barker. Counsel exphiutd' that the applieation was "in the imvare of a habeas eorpus writ." I hgun Zvai Leumi, in a secret JiroaJea-t in a "last good-bye" to | Gruner. said: "They are determined to hamr yuti. \\Y. however, salute you as I a hero. If di-spite all our eft'orts you are exeented our children and grandI children will sing your praise."

I First Batch of British I Evacupps Leave Jerusalem | LONDON, February 3. I A sti oue poliee escort yuarded the I first ha1. i li of Biitish evaeuees leaving I Jerusalem! : -day for Lyyda airport. E An aiiini..red .ar preceded the convoy I as it lel't the barbed wire closed securI lty area. l'oiice squads manned all I tais and aeyaye lorries. I Keuter' Jerusalem correspondent ■ savs iliat -W British women and I children, 'hc lirst evaeuees under the I GovvnnneiUs "quit Palestine" order, I will leave Lvdda airport for Enyland I at midniuhi in a specially chartered I Skymaster. Lady Astley, wife of Sir I Franeis A.-tley, British Couneil offiI cial in Ji'i usalem. is among the pasI sentters. The Palestine Government is I Payiny t'To the cust i-f each person's I Passape. I Wive.- ;;i: : children of the British I staffs of Baiclay's Bank and the Shell I Oil Ciinq.any are expected to fly to I Cyprus to-morrow. A fourth Royal I -Air Force D-ikota is due at Lyyda -toI fflorrnw to assist the evacuation. I Judye Wiudham, who was recently I fdnappt'd a::d released, was the last ■ Englishiiia1 to leave Tel Aviv, whose I district -o r; is being transferred to I laffa. Ja ko- Windham's wife is reI tjinin" to Itritain.