Friday, August 2, 1957 — THE DETRO IT JEW ISH N EWS-32

Shell, British Petroleum to Quit Israel

Oil Pressure Too High,
British Yield to Arabs

Ben-Gurion Favors Diplomatic 'Relations
with West Germany: Denies Peace Talks,
But Declares 'Never Has Peace Been Nearer'

(Direct JTA Teletype Wire
to The Jewish News)

vices German-speaking Switzer-
Ben-Gurion said that he con-
GENEVA — Premier David land is widely listened to both sidered that "a meeting with
JERUSALEM, (JTA) — A parently wishes to treat the Ben-Gurion of Israel said in an in Switzerland and neighboring Chancellor Adenauer now would
be premature," but stressed that
storm of protest is gathering transaction as purely commer- interview Tuesday that he fa- Germany.
"I would see with pleasure he did not believe the present
both here and in London follow- cial," the editorial stated, "but
ing the announcement of two they can hardly divest them- vored establishment of diplo- the establishment of full diplo- leaders of Germany were re-
British oil companies — Shell selves of all responsibility . . . matic relations with the West matic relations between the two sponsible for what had hap-
states," Ben-Gurion said. He pened during the Nazi regime.
and British Petroleum — that They ought not interfere to the German Federal Republic.
said that alhough he was aware
Asked about reported peace
they will shut down operations point of compelling private com-
He was quoted in an inter- that many people in Israel
in Israel.
panies to make purely commer- view with Joachim Fisher, Swiss would object to this step, he negotiations with the Arabs,
Ben-Gurion denied knowledge
Although there have been cial sacrifices, but they ought newsman, over the Swiss Na- did not share their point of view of such negotiations but said
to
resist
clearly
recognizable
sharp denials of yielding to
tional Radio Station of Bero- and preferred to let "bygones "never has peace with the Arabs
strong Arab pressures, newspa- political pressures."
munster. The station which ser- be bygones."
been nearer."
pers, government officials and
Both the oil companies and
other reliable sources believe the British government were
this is the only consideration. similarly criticized in editorials
The stunning news was seen in the Manchester Guardian and
in this city as a great victory a number of other British dailies
for the Arab boycott and a re- and weeklies.
newal of Arab appeasement by
By PHINEAS J. BIRON
Israeli circles_ regarded the
Britain.
withdrawal as likely to have "Respectable" Anti-Semitism:
same
column points out that uated income tax law; 3) The
As British-Israeli relations psychological effects more
American Mercury, once a "'Hitler's money system, worked Anti-Defamation League organ-
than
economic
ones.
It
was
reached their lowest point since
quality publication, established out by the brilliant Dr. H.
the Sinai campaign, the Israel felt that although difficulties years ago by Alfred Knopf, one Schacht, exposed the crooked ized by B'nai B'rith; 4) The
government requested Britain would ensue, the nation could of our most distinguished pub- deficit financing of the privately Rockefeller Foundation was es-
tablished . . These then, ac-
sustain the loss.
to intervene in the situation.
lishers, and edited by Henry owned central banks in Eng- cording to Mercury are the most
Meanwhile, Shell Oil has as- Mencken, is today a vicious land, France and our so-called horrible events that took place
The first reaction, however,
of the Foreign Office was cool, sured Israel that oil supplies magazine . . • We 'have been Federal Reserve System." • . . in 1913 . • . For "from this date
and there was little hope held will continue at least until the watching this publication for And finally this same issue— forward" says Mr. Maguire, "we
that there would be a change end of 1957, and that there will some time and therefore the don't forget that it is published were to be lied to, brainwashed
be no change in operations of issue, which is now on the news- in the month of August of the and betrayed." . . . But while
of policy.
Speaking in Parliament Mon- the Shell gasoline sales organ- stands, was no surprise to us year of 1957 quotes Henry Mor- the general public knows Com-
day, British Foreign Secretary ization in the country until that . . . There is a department in genthau Sr., who died decades mon Sense as an Anti-Semitic
Mercury under the caption of ago, as follows: "Zionism is the publication, comparatively few
Selwyn Lloyd. disavowed any date.
British Petroleum may wind "Do You Know?" . . . Here are most stupendous fallacy in Jew- people are aware that Mercury
responsibility for the decision
some of the choice items: "Do ish history . . . I assert that it belongs to the same lunatic
of the oil companies to sell their up its business earlier.
marketing interests in Israel.
The original statement by the you know that Israel was the is wrong in principle and impos- fringe . . . For Mercury runs
Replying to Laborite D. oil firms, made earlier this first Middle East country to es- sible in realization; that it is also other and sometimes quite
Healey, the Foreign Secretary week, was that they were with- tablish diplomatic relations with unsound in its economics, fan- interesting articles on subjects
said that the British govern- drawing from Israel because op- Communist Russia . . . Russia tastic in its politics, and ster- unrelated to its prejudices and
ment "had no prior knowledge erations there were unprofit- and the 'captive nations' also ile in its spiritual ideals . . . I therefore give the impression
that it is still a worth-while
whatever of the recently an- able. But financial circles in supplied 70 per cent of the im- speak as a Jew."
migrants that went to Israel"
The American Mercury is one publication . .. So, we thought
nounced decision."
London labelled this "poppy-
. . . Here is another one: "Joe of the old, highly respected that it is important that you
cock."
He insisted that despite the
McCarthy from his grave, asks magazines in the journalistic become acquainted with the ba-
fact that the government held
Neither did informed sources Anna Rosenberg 'who promoted
field . . . It has a distinguished sic editorial line of Mercury,
a majority of the shares in
in the British capital accept the Peress' " . . . And: "One of the
Shell Oil, it followed a policy statement that the companies many organizations whose tax- tradition and has maintained a which under the guise of anti-
dignified physical appearance communism carries on a repul-
established in 1914, when the
had acted on their own. It was exempt status is questioned is
government acquired an in- considered unthinkable that the Jewish Daily Forward. This . . . Its editor in chief is Mr. sive anti-Semitic campaign.
terest in what was then the drastic action of this sort in an newspaper is printed in Yiddish Russel Maguire and its manag-
Anglo-Persian Oil Co., of not area so important to the British and approximately two hundred ing editor is a lady called Nata-
sha Boisevain . . . The policy of
interfering in commercial de-
position would be' taken with- thousand copies are sold. Why the magazine proposes that the
cisions by the company.
out prior consultation with the should it be free of taxes?" American people promptly start,
"It is not government policy government.
(Surely the Mercury is aware in this country, an American
to restrict the operations of
that the Forward Association, citizen's trial in order to try for
It is common knowledge in
British oil companies in any London as well as in Jeru- which is publishing the Forward treason and subversion "the in-
(Direct JTA Teletype Wire
cou_ntry," Lloyd insisted.
salem that Shell practically is a non-profit-making organi- ternational bankers and their
to The Jewish News)
In response to a question by never makes a move without zation.) . . . And why should a associates who plotted the com-
WASHINGTON — The Senate
E. W. Short, another Labor first consulting British offi-
magazine published in 1957 use munist revolution in Russia .. . Tuesday abandoned an inquiry
M. P., on what considerations cials and that British Petrole-
the following item: "Opinion the real. planners and promoters into State Department policy in
govern Britain's supply of arms um, the second company in-
Magazine published by the late of the various wars into which the Near East.
to Israel in view of the chang- volved, also is partly owned
Rabbi Stephen S. Wise, Zionist this country has been pushed
A special subcommittee de-
ing situation in the Middle East,
leader, stated in its December . . the 'invisible government'
by the British government.
cided
to drop the probe because
Lloyd said:
Shell markets and distributes 1933 issue that 61 percent of the which has caused our nation
"The main consideration gov- gasoline in Israel, and; with officials of the White Russian repeatedly to make wrong deci- of the vast scope of the under-
taking and the prohibition on
erning supply of arms to Israel British Petroleum, it owns Con- bureaucracy were Jews . . . The sion . . . etc., etc.
making vital doctiments public.
and her neighbors is the govern- solidated Refineries which con- Rabbi's magazine added: Anti-
We could go on quoting from
ment's desire to promote and trol the giant refinery at Haifa. Semitism had been declared a this strange magazine which It was felt by some that the
state offense and is punished as maintains that "the four planned controversy that caused the
maintain peace and stability in
* '* *
counter-revolution." . . . Be- sinister events that took place probe was alleviated by the
the area and avoid an arms Assure Israel Housewives
race."
sides,
the editors of Mercury are in 1913 are: 1) the Federal Re- Eisenhower Doctrine.
of Sufficient Cooking Oil
The investigation was con-
still in love with Hitler ... The serve Banking Act; 2) the grad-
Earlier, three of Britain's
TEL AVIV, (JTA)—Oil deal-
ceived as one that might deter-
most distinguished parliamenta-
mine if shortcomings Of U.S.
rians expressed strong opposi- ers in Israel took steps to as-
policy led to the Sinai war and
tion to the Shell and British sure their patrons that even if
Suez crisis.
the Shell Oil withdraws from
Petroleum decision.
operations in this country,
The subcommittees chairman,
In a joint letter to the Times
housewives will not be left
Sen. J. W. Fulbright, Arkansas
of London, they said that the without kerosene for their kit-
Democrat, recommended aban-
decision would be viewed as a
donment of the undertaking.
chen ranges and hot-water
victory for the Arab economic heaters.
However, he announced that he
war against Israel, a n d
will take the Senate floor next
Another Shell subsidiary,
warned that the British gov-
week for his own personal full-
Shell
Chemicals,
which
manu-
ernment cannot possibly
scale review of developments
factures insecticides needed in
divest itself of responsibility
that led to last • fall's crisis in
for the political implications Israel agriculture, was reported
the Near East.
today to be considering the
of this move or for its con-
The State Department had
transfer of the enterprise to its
sequences.
acted in response to the sub-
employees on a cooperative
The trio of signatories were basis.
committee's request by furnish-
Herbert Morrison, Foreign Sec-
ing files on its consideration of
retary in the Labor govern-
the Palestine issue before emer-
ment; Walter Elliott, one of the Envisage Restrictions
gence of Israel. and other mat-
ters.
most respected Conservative
on
German
Tourism
Security considerations re-
backbenchers, and Clement
(Direct, JTA Teletype Wire
quired that much of the mate-
Davies, former Minister of
to The Jewish News)
rial furnished the subcommittee
Health and former leader of
JERUSALEM — The Israel
remain secret.
the Liberal Party.
Cabinet has not discussed the
Their letter noted that the oil question of tourism from Ger-
companies' decision, if taken many, but the Foreign Minis*
Seaman's Unions Ask
with the acquiescence of the and the Ministry of the Interior
British government, was "most have promulgated certain re-
Release of Israeli
disquieting to all those who strictions on such visits, Premier
(Direct JTA Teletype Wire
to The Jewish News)
hoped for a gradual decrease David Ben-Gurion told the
LONDON — The National
in tension in the Middle East." Knesset Wednesday.
Union of Seamen and the Mer-
Commenting editorially on the
His statement was made in
This modern scoop shovel at work in the Even V'Sid chant Navy and Airline Officers
oil companies' move which it response to a query from Gen-
Association cabled President
called "profoundly disquieting," eral Zionist Deputy Israel Ro- granite quarries near Elath, Israel's port on the Gulf of Aqaba,
the Times said that while the kach on a newspaper report that shows one of the many important uses to which State of Israel Nasser of Egypt Monday asking
him to release Raphael Eylon,
oil companies claim that their the government had decided to Development dollars are being put. Granite from quarries
near Elath is shipped to the United States, Belgium and other
Israeli seaman-journalist who
operations in Israel were un- encourage German tourists.
nations. Elath, Israel's gateway to the countries of Africa and was taken off the Danish freigh-
economical, their withdrawal
Rokach also asked whether in Asia, is being built up as a major seaport, as an industrial
ter Brigitte Toft by the Egyp-
will be widely interpreted as a view of the strong feeling in center for the processing and utilization of minerals discovered
tian authorities when it passed
concession to the Arab Boycott Israel against Germany it would
in the Negev, and as a resort area. It is estimated that, to
Committee.
not be appropriate to ban all accomplish this aim in ten years, Israel requires $150,000,000 through the Suez Canal and is
being held under Egyptian
"The British government ap- tourism from Germany.
in investment capital, a great part of it in Israel Bond funds.

Strictly Confidential

Senate Abandons
Near East Probe
of U.S. Policies

Elath's Rise as Key Center

-

arrest.