PALESTINE CLOSED TO BRITISH SUBJECTS

Rotorua Morning Post, Issue 5320, 5 February 1947, Page 5

PALESTINE CLOSED TO BRITISH SUBJECTS

( Press Assn-

GOVT. ULTIMATUM jEWS ORDERED TO ASSIST IN HUNTING TERRORISTS

—Rec. 9. 30. p.m.)

LONDON, Ffcb. 4. The Palestine frontier was closed at noon to British subjects wishing to enter the country. Only a number of Britons going to Lebanon 'were allowed to cross the border. Jewish Agency sources reveal that the Palestine Governnient has sent the Agency an ultimatum giving Jews seven days to co-operate in hunling down terrorists. The Ciiit'f Seeretary of the Palestine (Jovfj'iunent, Sir Henry Gurney, embo.lit'ii the ultimatum in a letter to the asreney, stating that the Jewish .[Uthorities had shown few .signs oi usinjr the ctily means of enforcing law anii oriK'i-. namely, security forces. In fact. tlie agency had openly refused to i'0-upeiate with the Government. The siuation was extremely grave, sai,l Sir Henry, who aslced for a cateuoiiral stateinent whether the agency anii the Vaud Leumi (Palestine Jews' Xatietiai t'ouncil), were prepared witliiit x veii days to aid the Government !>y en-uperating with the police ar.,1 tiie A'uiy in loeating and bringiuo j,, jastice members of terrorist groups. The letter demands reeognition of the ordirary legal and moral duty to cu-uneiu:.' against crime which belonji's ti l itizens' institutions in any civilieii Siate and which cannot be a?«wiatf.i with the terms "informer" and "HV-" l.ikely Zionist Offer Zionist leaders are negotiating with Ihi'bh uuthorities and are exptvteil ! • .r.ake an offer involving the paititi"!: Palestine when they see the Foreiui. Seeretary, Mr. Bevin, and the fnKvial Seeretary, Mr. Creeeh Jones. to-right, says Reuter's diplomatie convsjumdent. All six ivjnvsentatives of the Jewish Auency eonferred during the week-end a ith 1500 delegates of the Zionist hV'ieration of Great Britain, where most of them made speeches urginu the British Zionist movement to aeeept the partition as the final j solutior !■:' the Palestine problem. It is aiithoritatively learned that- j Gruner' execution has been postponed until February lS, says ihe Jerusalem correspondent of the Exchaiige Telegraph. Mrs. Heien Friedman, Gruner's sister, is cxpected to arrive in Palestintfv'nn the United States within a few days to eontinue her efforts on his behalf. Pwuter's Jerusalem correspondent ?a\ that Gruner's counsel today tileu a sivnd application to the Supreu'.e Court for leave to appeal to the Privy CoLincil on the grounds of not miuiring Gruner's previous consent. JleanA i ih'. the first batch of British evaouee- ft o;ij Haifa has left Lydda airpoit. Tne cvacuees will be fiown to Caii . .. A later to Britdin. The Ex.-hange Telegraph correspondent say- Palestine is huzzing with runniuis. \ •; ttnconfirmed report says tiia: British families at Jaft'a, wlm hav,. .:?■! i! tu-morrow to complete pi'fcparati'O:: for leaving, have held a mass nuvt itig to organise a sit-down strike i?- pintest against the evacuation oider. Iretii! /, a* l.eumi and Stern Gang ttrrurisr- Jerusalem attaeked niemticis of th(. llaganah while the Haganaii meii were plastering the city's wa! l.i with posters calling on Jews to n.-ist the terrorists' appeals for fumb. Five Jews were taken to hospital. The Babbinate proclaimed toduy as a •••day of praver and intercession in v of the dire distress of Jewrv."