Friday, October 8; 1943

Jews to Appeal Conviction
In Palestine Arms Trial

Defense Planning to Carry Case to King of England
If Necessary; Six-Week Trial Marked by
Accusations Against Jewish Groups

By B. CORALNIK
JERUSALEM, (JTA) — A British military court sen-
tenced Leib Sirkin 'and Abraham Rachlin to terms of 10 and
7 years imprisonment, respectively, on charges of illegally
securing arms stolen from military stores.
The verdict was issued after a six-week trial which at-
tracted world-wide attention, since the issues involved tran-
scended the guilt or innocence of the two accused.
Defense attorneys Philip Joseph and Asher Levitsky an-
nounced that they would appeal the decision to the General
Officer Commanding British forces in the Middle East and
would carry the case to the King, if necessary. Dr. Joseph,
who was Sirkin's attorney, stated that "Sirkin came here for
justice, not mercy. He still considers himself innocent."
Trial Marked by Charges Against Jewish Institutions
The trial of the Jewish taxi-driver, Rachlin, and the
Jewish trade-union official, Sirkin, and also that of Stoner
and Harris, British soldiers from whom they were accused
of purchasing the arms, became a forum from which the
military prosecutors voiced thinly-veiled accusations against
leading Jewish institutions in Palestine, not excluding the
Jewish Agency, implying that they were directly involved in
a gigantic conspiracy to smuggle arms to secret Jewish de-
fense groups.
Defense attorneys made counter-charges against the Pal-
estine police, accusing them of anti-Semitic tendencies and
of "framing" the case against Rachlin and Sirkin. The de-
fense held that the prosecution had failed to prove possession
of the arms in question-300 rifles and 105,000 rounds of am-
munition—by either of the defendants and that its witnesses
had on several occasions contradicted themselves and each
other.

THE JEWISH

NEWS

Page Three

Weekly Review of the News of the World

(Compiled From Cables of Independent Jewish Press Service)

PALESTINE

There were 483 establishments in the
Vaad Leumi school system in 1943, with
66,739 pupils and 2,600 teachers. In 1942,
there had been 437 schools with 62,700
children and 2,367 teachers, it was an-
nounced in Jerusalem.

The Yishuv's contributions to the Keren
Hayesod during the year 5703 amounted
to £170,000, as compared with £58,000 con-
tributed last year, it was announced by
the Palestine Foundation Fund. The world
income of the Fund for the year 5703 to-
talled over a million pounds, it was stated.

AMERICA
Unless immigration is internationally
systematized and permitted, "it will not be
possible to solve the problem of war and
pre-war refugees," it is asserted in a 166-
page document issued by the International
Labor Office in Montreal under the title
of "The Displacement of Population in
Europe."
The British are considering the creation
of a Jewish army to help drive the Jap-
anese from Burma, the London corre-
spondent of the Chicago Sun reports to
his paper.

See Also Page 11

BUY MORE WAR BONDS AND STAMPS

Scores Allegations Against Yishuv in Arms Trial
JERUSALEM (JPS-Palcor) — Isaac ben Zvi, chairman of the
Vaad Leurni, anticipating the forthcoming session of the Assephat
Hanivcharim (Jewish Representative Assembly), told journalists
here that the arms trial had provided a "platform for insinua-
tions against the Yishuv," and that it was the Jewish community's
duty to repudiate these "allegations and libels based on false-
hood."

Arms Trial Aimed Against Yishuv, Says Vaad Leumi
JERUSALEM (Palcor)—A statement issued here by the Vaad
Leurn, Jewish National Council, declared that the arms trial was
not directed solely against the accused but that the prosecution
east_ aspersions against the Yishuv and its institutions and against
the war effort in Palestine:
The Vaad Leumi statement pointed out that "the national
institutions remained silent during the progress of the trial, but
they are now free to express their views." For this purpose, it
was announced, a meeting of the Assephat Hanivcharim, Jewish
Representative Assembly, had been called.
The Histadruth, General Jewish Federation of Labor, has
submitted to the High Commissioner a protest against a remark
made by the prosecuting attorney during the course of the military
trial of Leib Sirkin and Abraham Rachlin, to the effect that the
Histadruth "exercises Nazi discipline over its members."
The Executive of the Histadruth, in its protest, declared that
this remark was "not only an insult to the honor of the Histadruth
but also a vilification of the high moral values which characterize
the bases of the Histadruth, whose members have assumed a lead-
ing role in the Yishuv's war effort." Hundreds of volunteers from
the Histadruth, the statement continued, "gave their lives on land,
sea and in the air for the democratic cause."
The Executive requested the transmission of this protest to
the Colonial Secretary.

U. S. Zionists Denounce 'Arms Trial' Verdict
NEW YORK, (JTA)—The Palestinian gun-running trials were
denounced as "part and parcel of a systematic effort by the Pales-
tine government to discredit Jewish aspirations in Palestine by
indirection and conniving," by Louis Lipsky, member of the World
Zionist Executive, speaking at a Zionist meeting here.
"The Palestinian gun-running trials which have now reached
the predestined conclusion indicate, as nothing else could, the
real intention of the Palestine administration to destroy Jewish
aspirations in Palestine," Mr. Lipsky said. "These trials were part
and parcel of a systematic effort by the government to discredit
Jewish aspirations by indirection and conniving. They have been
magnified and distorted beyond all proportions in a* deliberate
program of frame-up."

Charges at Palestine Trial Denounced By Zionist Read
WASHINGTON — A scathing denunciation of the Palestine
administration's. "policy of obstructionism toward the Yishuv,"
which was strikingly reflected in the trial of the two members of
the Jewish community on the charge of illegal possession of
arms," was made by Dr. Israel Goldstein, president of the Zionist
Organization of America, in a statement made public today from
the National Zionist Headquarters here.

Palestine Industry Praised
For Vital Role in War Effort

WASHINGTON, (JTA)—Palestine's industrial achievements
must remain secret until the war is won, but the general features
that can already be reported testify to the skill and energy
devoted to wringing every possible use out of the available
resources, it is stated in the current Foreign Commerce Weekly,
official organ of the Department of Commerce.
"The Dead Sea is yielding up its ages-old accumulation of
chemical salts," the article says. "Bromine, magnesium, potash, and
other chemicals are produced.
Another source of chemicals is the oil refinery at Haifa,
Palestinian terminus of the trans-desert pipe line from Iraq.
Besicks serving the air and naval services in the eastern Mediter-
ranean, this refinery turns out by-products absorbed by the
chemical industry."
Research workers at the Hebrew University on Mt. Scopus
have initiated a new pharmaceutical industry, the Commerce
Department publication reports. It adds that workshops have sprung
up all over Palestine. and, starting with little outside aid, there
has been built up a most important mechanical-repair and parts-
manufacturing industry. "At a recent exhibition of new Palestine
products, 800 kinds of manufactured goods wee displayed," the
article concludes.

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