Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1947-08-24
Habeas Corpus Action
Begun 10 Block Britain.
From Landing Jews
By the Assoeioted Press

LONDON Aug. 23.-Britain an
nounced today that the 4,400 Jews
of the Exodus were being taken to
Germany where they presumably
will be disembarked by force if nee
essary with the objective of return
ing them to France by rail.
But at the same time the Jewish
Agency of Palestine instituted ha-
heas corpus proceedings against
British officials on behalf of the
refugees which agency officials said
might prevent the Jews from being
put ashore in Germany or anywhere
else outside British territory.
The Jews. baked in their attempt
to run the immigration blockade of
Palestine, were somewhere on the
high seas on three British cage"
ships en- route to Gibraltar and
Hamburg after staging 24-day "sit
down strike in which they refused
to go ashore on French soil and
the French government refused to
use force to make them disembark.
Afloat Sisce July IL.
They have been afloat since July
i when they sailed secretly from
Sete, France, on the Exodus 1947.
only to be intercepted by British
destroyers and boarding parties and
returned to Port de Bouc, France.
Britain apparently decided to
transfer the Jews to Hamburg,
which is under her administration
in Germany, so that if the Jews
continued to refuse to land volun-
tarily they could be forcibly removed
from the vessels. Upon sailing from
Port de Bouc yesterday, many of
the Jews said they would not land
except by force.
A British spokesman said the
Jews will not be allowed to remain
on British ships at Hamburg.
The Foreign Office announcement
said the French had been asked to
receive the Jews back into France
by train from Germany because they
had sailed from that country for
the Holy Land last month.
Humanitarian Considerations.
His majesty's government are
we'll aware of the part which
humanitarian consioera tons have
played in the decision of the French
government not to cooperate in
obliging the illegal immigrants to
disembark at Port de Bouc," said
the British note in part
They feel confident that, basing
themselves on the same considera-
tons, the French government will
be glad to accept this suggestion
with the object of alternating fur
Their suffering"
No reply had been received from
he French government late today.
but in Paris a French Foreign Office
spokesman said the matter was pos
stbly still under consideration.
II the refugees arrive in France
they will be treated like any other
foreigners a French Ministry Of
Interior spokesman said. That
means there would be no guarded |
camps or policemen watching them.
Will Arrive in 10 Days.
A Foreign Office spokesman here
declined to say what would happen
to the Jews if the French refused to
receive them, but he pointed out
the French had never withdrawn
their original offer of asylum when |
the Jews arrived at Port de Bouc. |
An Admiralty spokesman said the |
Jews, expected at Hamburg in 10
days or two weeks, were being
escorted by four warships as a pre-
caution against any attempt at
mass suicide and to prevent in
dividuals from jumping overheard"
Each escort, he said. was carry
ing special detachment to assist
the crews of the transport ships if
necessary.
The Jewish Agency's habeas
corpus action was directed against
Foreign Secretary Bevin and
Colonial Secretary Arthur Creech
Jones and claimed that six of the
Jews aboard were being held il
legally The six names were chosen
as a test case. and an agency
spokesman said the outcome would
determine the fate of the others.
Hearings on preliminary writs
were set for next Wednesday.