French Deny Helping British
Keep Jews Out of Palestine

JERUSALEM, (JPS-Palcor)— on board his ship—the Ocean Vig-
The French Government, in a our—for 1,500 persons. The Brit-
message to the Jewish agency, ish soldiers were tough at the
denied rumors of a secret agree- beginning, but softened up after
ment with Britain. to help limit several days, expressing sympa-
Jewish immigration to Palestine thy with the refugees and crit-
or that it in any way collaborated icism of the government which
with the British in the deporta- had given them the job of polic-
tion of the "Exodus of 1947" ref- ing deportees.
Overcrowded Vessels
ugees from Palestine.
British and French authorities
An account from another ship,
are discussing the question of charged that "inhuman conditions
offering the immigrants a high prevail for 1,256 people, includ-
priority for admission to Pales- ing 500 • children who are living
tine if they agree to disembark. in overcrowded conditions in a
Slightly more than 50 have come state of constant hunger."
ashore since the vessels reached
Laura Margolis, JDC director
Port de Bouc, and most of them in France, who assumed super-
were in need of medical care.
vision' of food distribution to the
Leon Blum, former French ships, said that many of the wo-
Premier, accused Britain of "in- men are in the ninth month of
humanity" in returning the Jew- pregnancy, but were refusing to
ish refugees from Palestine to come ashore. She stated that
France and appealed to the Brit- their health was endangered by
ish Government to "renounce the the almost complete lack of milk.
use of force in Palestine."
The stomachs of most' of the de-
The Joint Distribution Com- portees are so bad that they now
mittee sent 10 tons of supplies find difficulty in eating the food
aboard the three vessels. Its being sent out to them, she dis-
Paris office announced that sup- closed. (It was announced that
plies will be delivered as long one child was born aboard one of
as the vessels remain in French the vessels, but that the mother
refused to leave the ship.)
waters.
Deportation to Tropics?
Another report states that the
British Cabinet has decided to
transport to a British tropical
colony the 4,500 Jewish refugees
refusing to disembark in France
from three British deportation
ships.
The report said that if the ref-
ugees persisted in their refusal
to leave the transports, they
would either be taken to a new
place of internment, or perhaps
held in the British zone of Ger-
many until accommodations
could be prepared at their ulti-
mate destination. Under no cir-
cumstances would they be re-
turned to Palestine or sent to
Cyprus. informed quarters said.
Eye-witness accounts of the sit-
uation aboard ship were obtained
in Port de Bouc. A 22 year old
; American from the Bronx, who
is one of the estimated 15 crew
members of the Exodus displayed
three head wounds he had suf-
fered during the clash with a
British boarding party.
Prison Rations Aboard
He said that during the 11-day
voyage from Haifa to Port de
Bouc the refugees' diet consisted
of breakfast, which was hot tea,
without sugar, and a supply of
hard biscuits which had to last
for all three meals; lunch, com-
posed of hot rice with dried milk:
and a bowl of soup for dinner.
During the first few days of the
trip the soup contained meat.
After that it was meatless.
There was only one doctor

Writes New Book

DR. MILTON STEINBERG,
rabbi of the Park Avenue Syna-
gogue, New York, has written a
new book, "Basic Judaism," pub-
lished by Harcourt, Brace and Co.
Unlike his recent "Partisan Guide
to the Jewish Problem," his new
book is a non-partisan exposition
of the Jewish viewpoint, both
Traditional and Moder n, on
many aspects of religion and life.
Dr. Steinberg is known as the
author of "As A Driven Leaf'
and other books.

SWERL is not a soap, but a new scien-

tific suds, which banishes grease. No
scum on water—no ring around pan or
grease-coated sink. Marvelous results
no soap can equal. SWERL may be
used in hot or cold, hard or soft water.
It leaves your hands so smooth!

*SWERL bears in the lower
left hand corner of the big
green economy box the 0 seal
of approval of the UNION OF
ORTHODOX JEWISH
CONGREGATIONS OF
AMERICA.

(

Jewish Ships to Plow Sea
Between Haifa, Marseilles

Palestine becomes sea con- in the United States, South Af-
scious. The Palestine Navigation rica, Britain and Romania.
To help develop Palestine's
Company which was founded in
1946, expects to inaugurate a fishing industry, the League, in
rapid passenger and cargo service cooperation , with the Maritime
between Haifa and Marseilles Department of the Jewish Agen-
cy. established a Sea Fisheries Re-
within the next few weeks.
This will be a milestone in the search Station at Haifa. The sta-
steady and encouraging develop- tion which conducts research into
ment of maritime interest in the location and value of fishing
Yishuv. The Jews are beginning grounds, the nature of the sea-
to appreciate the,important part bed. currents, etc., has at its dis-
which the sea will play — eco- posal a specially built experi-
nomically, politically' and cultur- mental trawler, the "Nissayon."
ally—in our national life.
A nautical school, established
in 1938, is attached to the He-
The 'Palestine Maritime
brew Technical Institute at
League (Khevel Yami Ley-
Haifa. Four groups of cadets
israel), founded 10 years ago,
have already graduated from
has been instrumental in this
this school, and more than 50
development. It was recognized
of these are serving at sea. The
by the last Zionist Congress as
1946-47 classes comprise 95
the representative institutio.n
cadets.
for Jewish maritime interests.
It will be worth while
The League was created in
June, 1937, shortly after it had watching the further progress of
become necessary to provide Tel this "Back-to-the-Sea" movement.
Aviv with port facilities, since the The last Congress has proclaimed
Arab disorders and boycott in its interest in the cause by in-
that year threatened to paralyze structing the Zionist General
Council to appropriate funds for
all Jewish life in Palestine.
The League comprises today the expansion of shipping facili-
more than 24,000 members in ties. and the establishment of
Palestine, and also has branches fishing villages.

•

Conference Sets
Fourth Session
Nov. 29 in Chicago

NEW YORK.—The fourth ses-
sion of the American Jewish
Conference, which was postpon-
ed because of an urgent meet-
ing of the Zionist Actions Corn-
. mittee in Geneva requiring the
presence of manSi-Teading dele-
gates and -officers, will be held
at the Palmer House, Chicago,
Saturday. Nov. 29, to Monday,
Dec. 1, Louis Lipsky, chairman
of the Conference executive
committee, announced.
The overwhelming majority of
the delegates have agreed to
postponement, Lipsky stated.
The session will be preceded by
a dinner to be tendered on
Thursday, Nov. 27, by the Chi-
cago Jewish organizations to the
presidents of the organizations
affiliated with the Conference.
The chief item on the session's
agenda will be the proposed
formation of a permanent body
to represent all of the Jews in
the United States.
The- plan for permanency,
- which will be presented to the
fourth session by Dr. Maurice N.
Eisendrath, has been the subject
- of widespread discussion and will
be debated at - public hearings
in important cities throughout
the country prior to the Chicago
/meeting.

Page Five

THE JEWISH NEWS

Friday, August 3, 1947