The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-06-24
Irgunists Warn Deoth To Britons
 Extremists Fall
 To Meet UItimaIuum
 Made hy Magma

Jerusalem, June -UP)-ThC Extremist Irgun Zvai Leumi under ground organization today threat eped to kill the three British officer hostages 1t is holding if the British execute two Irgun members now under death sentences.
 The Jewish extremists defied the Monday deadlIne set by Hagana largest of the Jewish resistance movements, for release of the three officers. Hagana promised action against the Irgunists unless the BritonS were freed today.
 Irgun said 1t would continue to hold the three officers indefinitely The other two of the five officers abducted from a Tel Aviv hotel last week were freed Saturday night.
 Clarifies Action
 The two were released, Irgun said, lon our own accord and not on or ders from anybody, least of all the Jewish agency, to whom we owe no obedience"
 Impending trials of 30 other Irgun members before a Jerusalem mili- taFy court for extremist operations were cited by Irgun as further req son for holding the three hostages Both IrgunistS now under death sentence were convicted by a Brit ish military court flor extremist operations against a British camp
 If the two Irgun members are executed, Irgun announced, the same fate awaits the three British officers who are in our hands"
 The Jewish agency held a pro- longed session last night, far past midnight.
 Informed quarters believed Ha- gana may resort to counter abduc- tions, possibly of both captors and captives, in retaliation against Irgun Zvai Leumi
 A secret Jrgun broadcast. late Sunday night announced, We have no intention yet of setting the re- manning three free. They will still be our guests"
 Search Unabated
 Pamphlets scattered through Tel Aviv proclaimed, We still need them"
 A vigorous search by Army and police forces was in progress through central Tel Aviv long after midwnight as result of a false re- port telephoned to police head quarters that two of the three kid naped officers had been released Sunday night.
 The mysterious phone call to police said the officers had been released at the Tel Aviv Opera House. Similar anonymous calls were made to Tel Aviv newspaper offices. Police and soldiers converged on the spot. but found nothing. Two Freed
 Two of the original five captive Britons were realeased Saturday night in Tel Aviv close to the hotel from which they had been snatched into tO0- hour captivity. They disclosed they had been held prisoner in Tel Aviv cellar. Another British officer, abducted in Jerusalem, escaped earlier. ,,l
 The two officers released SatT- day said they had no knowledge of bhe three missing men, who were held in 8. different place.
 Police broke into orange packing olaf7tS and other buildings on the Tel Aviv outskirts Sunday evening, hunting the hostages.
 A reliable source reported, mean while, that R. A. F. reconnaissance planes had intercepted a Shipload ,f illegal Jewish immigrants out side Palestineian territorial waters. Several destroyers left port, appar- ently to escort the ship to land.
 Held In Chains The two British officers freed by he Irgunists told of being held in | ;hains in Tel Aviv cellar while | British armored cars rattled past | n search of them. Flight It. P. A. E. Russell of the | 2. A. F. said he and Capt. D. T. lmurae had their hands tied by | ,heir captors. He said they re-