British Destroy Tunnel Built'
To Rescue Jews from Cyprus

100 Reported to Have Escaped to Israel; Schwartz Reports
10,000 Can Be Absorbed Monthly into Jewish State;
State Dept. Denies Marshall's Threat to Resign

FAMAGUSTA, Cyprus, (JTA)
British engineers blew up a
secret tunnel which was elabor-
ately constructed by Jewish de-
tainees here in an effort to es-
cape from their detention camps
and reach Israel. The demolition
of the tunnel occurred after the
British had previously pumped
340,000 gallons of water into the
subterranean passage without
wrecking it.
The tunnel — 80 yards long
and two feet wide — had been
Completed only two days before
it was discovered. It ran under
the barbed wire surrounding one
camp to a point well beyond the
guard perimeter. The detainees
had wired the tunnel with elec-
tric light with current obtained
from
a searchlight tower. British
•
authorities believe that it took
the Jews six months to dig the
tunnel. Twenty-nine refugees
were sentenced to various terms
of imprisonment, ranging up to
nine months, when the passage
was discovered.
It was reliably estimated that
at least 100 Jewish detainees suc-
ceeded in escaping from Cyprus
last week. British officials on the
island voiced the opinion that
Jewish representatives outside
the camps, stationed in Cyprus,
but who are in radio contact with
Israel, are attempting to help
"selected male specialists among
the refugees" to escape on small
boats which are brought near
the Cyprus coast at night. Such
boats can reach Israel from Cy-
prus in about 24 hours. -
The Jews are planning to test
the constitutionality of the is-
land's law passed two years ago
covering escaping detainees. The
legal basis of the test will be
whether the government is com-
petent to detain the Jews since
the end of the British Mandate
in Palestine on May 15, whether
the Jews here are Israeli citizens
and, if so, whether the British
can legally detain citizens of an-
other state trying to reach that
state.

Deny Report Marshall
-
Threatened to Resign
WASHINGTON, (JTA) — The
State Department denied the re-
port that Secretary of State
George C. Marshall is strongly
opposed to a three-point program
of U. S. aid to Israel advocated
by President Truman.
State Department press officer
Michael- J. McDermott told the
Jewish Telegraphic Agency he
was "sure there is nothing to the
report, because there is' no con
flict between the Secretary and
President Truman." McDermott
added that the question of ex-
tending a loan to Israel is "under
study" as is the question of de
jure recognition. Pointing out
that Israel has to date not sub-
mitted a formal application to
the UN for membership, the De-
partment official said the United
States "would certainly view it
sympathetically under the Char-
ter" when the application is sub-
mitted.
• A highly-placed Administra-
tion official confirmed that
President Truman is working
on a three-point program for
Israel including a $100,000,000
Export-Import Bank loan, de
jure recognition, and U. S. sup-
port for Israel's UN member-
ship a-plication. This official
expressed, the belief that secur-
ing the $100,000,000 loan was a
virtual certainty. Although he
warned that "anything could
happen" which might prevent
the realization of such econ-
omic assistance for the new
state, he Indicated that Presi-
dent Truman is definitely com-
mitted to the idea of securing
the loan.
The State Department denied
that it had ever threatened to
revoke the license of a shipping
company or airline for carrying
men of military age as passengers
to the Middle East.
Questioned why carriers had
been requested to seek clearance
only for non-American passen-
gers, said that all Americans leav-
ing the U. S. must state their rea-
son for going to a certain country
before their passport can be
validated. If the reason given
by an applicant seeking to travel
to the Middle East "is contrary
to the terms of the UN truce,"
h- said, "passports are not
issued."
Rep. Sol Bloom told the JTA
that, in a call on President Tru-
man, he left with the President
a four-page memorandum out-
lining the three pro-Israel steps
and why and how it was possible
to carry them out. He said he
went over the memorandum
point by point with the President
and urged that now was the time
to carry through on the three
Points.

THE JEWISH NEWS-3 Arabs were holding the water

Friday, August 20, 1948

ed to the UN Security Council
not to permit the transfer of. the
11,000 Jewish refugees now in
Cyprus to Israel on the grounds
that such a move "would enrich
the Jews in manpower and fight-
ing personnel" in Palestine. The
appeal said that the Jews now
in Cyprus "must be returned to
their country of origin.".
The necessity for "replacing
the truce in Palestine by a
peace settlement between Is-
rael and the belligerent Arab
states" was emphasized by a
spokesman for the Israeli mis-
sion as the UN Security Coun-
cil was considering the Arab
wrecking of the Latrun water
pumping station.
Speaking for the Arabs, Faris
El Khouri confessed that the

supply as hostage for Jewish ac-
ceptance of the demilitarization
of Jerusalem. Eban countered
with the assertion that demilitar-
ization was not mandatory but
only an objective to be nego-
tiated by the mediator with both
parties.
The Security • Council voted
eight to one for a Soviet resolu-
tion urging the UN mediator to
exert his efforts for resumption
of the water supply to inhabit-
ants of Jerusalem.
The Israeli Government, in a
statement t o t h e Security
Council on the situation of dis-
placed Jews in Europe and of
Arab refugees in countries
negihboring P al e s t in e, esti-
mated that there are still about
250,000 displaced persons of
Jewish nationality in Europe

who must depend on Jewish aid
for their support.
Reporting that since the pro-
clamation of Israeli stateheed on
May 14, the Jewish state has ab-
sorbed 28,551 immigrants, the
memorandum said that the Israeli
Government has decided to con-
tinue, and even enlarge, this
rate of absorption during the
coming months and year.

Israel Vessel at Turkish Port
ISTANBUL, (JTA) — The
first Israeli vessel to dock at a
Turkish port arrived here and
began immediately to load a car-
go of Turkish goods. The arrival
of the S.S. Atid was hailed in
Jewish and Turkish circles and
the hope was voiced that trade
relations between this country
and Israel would expand in the
near future.

-

Prepare to Settle 10,000
A Month in Jewish State
TEL AVIV, (JTA) — Assert-
ing that he is convinced that
10,000 Jews can be absorbed
monthly into Israel for the next
two years," Dr. Joseph J.
Schwartz, European director of
the Joint Distribution Commit-
tee, told a press conference that
his primary purpose for coming
to Israel at this time was to in-
vestigate the possibilities of mass
immigration.
Dr. Schwartz reported that
"750,000 Jews in Europe — and
the majority of the displaced
Jews — are anxiously awaiting
the possibility to emigrate to Arabs Ask UN to Return
Israel." Pointing out that more Cyprus Jews to Native Lands
than 30,000 - Jews have ar-
LAKE SUCCESS, (JTA)—The
rived in Israel since the Jewish Arab Higher Committee appeal-
state was • proclaimed, Dr.
Schwartz said a plan has been
worked out to bring into Israel
10,000 immigrants monthly which
will cost, in transportation alone,
$1,250,000 per month.
Citing his visit to Cyprus a
few days ago, Dr. Schwartz said
that "while the displaced Jews in
Germany, Austria and Italy move
about freely, the 13,000 Jews in
Cyprus are virtual prisoners be-
hind barbed wire." He revealed
that UN Palestine mediator
Count Folke Bernadotte told a
JDC representative On the island
that he had no objection to the
immigration of the Cyprus de-
tainees to Israel, but said that
the British refused to allow their
departure.
The JDC European director
-International News Photo
pointed to the fact that although
COUNT FOLKE BERNA-
51,000 Jews arrived in Israel DOTTE (in white) is shown
since Jan. 1 of this year, the In- here walking in Jerusalem with
ternational Refugee Organization, DR. DOV JOSEPH (left), Jeru-
which should have assisted in salem's Israeli military gover-
moving the DPs, refused to do nor, after a meeting during
so, explaining that Israel was at which there was disagreement
war and some IRO members have on the UN mediator's ruling
not recognized Israel." He declar- that Israel evacuate two Arab
eil. "the JDC is forced, but pre- villages. Dr. Joseph rejected
pared to carry the burden alone." Bernadotte's request.

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