Evening star., 1947-10-13
Jewish Sources Tell
of Syrian Troops Near
Palestine Frontier
BY the Assoeioted Press


JERUSALEM, Oct. 13.-Jewish
sources reported that we'll
equipped Syrian troops we're en-
camped near the Palestine bor-
der today, opposite an area dot
ted with Jewish agricultural
settlements.
British officials were not i'm
mediately able to confirm the re-
ports, but one British spokesman
said that if true the troop move
ment probably represented the first
step on the part of the Arab states
to show they will fill the vacuum
and take over the Holy Land when
the British move out"
| The British, who govern Palestine
under League of Nations man
date, have announced that they will
withdraw from the Holy Land II
the United Nations fails to find a
solution to the problem acceptable
to both Arabs and Jews.
Arabs Agree on Action.
The Arab League. meeting in
Beirut, announced last week that
it had agreed to Gordon off what it
described as terrorist organizations
and Zionist forces" in Palestine by
moving troops from the Arab coun-
tries up to the Holy Lands frontiers
| "a Beirut dispatch quoted a
civil attache of the Lebanese War
Ministry as saying that two COM
panles Of Lebanese troops were
/ moved near the Syrian-Palestine
frontier Thursday for maneuvers.
At the same time dispatch
/ from Cairo quoted a spokesman
I for the Moslem Brotherhood as
saying that the vanguard of a
Brotherhood army Of 10000 men
had reached Rata. Mediterra-
mean port on the Egyptian-Pale
tine border.D
Jewish informants did not esti.
mate the number of Syrian troop.
repeatedly deployed along the from.
tier, but said they were we'll equip.
ped with armor and other heavy
weapons. They quoted Jewish set.
tiers in the frontier areas as saying
the troops were encamped near the
Syrian villages of Kuneitra and Ba.
mis-, just north of the point where {
finger of Palestine juts into Syria
and Lebanon.
Observers Keep Watch.
Syrian patrols were reported tt
have passed quite close" to the Pal
estine border and Jewish settlements
were said to have been alerted, while
observers were posted to keep watch
on the Syrians. .o's -
i Anxiety over the reported Syriar
maneuyers. jewish sources said
/ caused several Jewish institutions te
I submit a memorandum to the Pal
estine government declaring they
wosald hold The British Responsible
for maintaining law and order al
long as they remain in the Holy
Land.
j British military authorities re.
Gently withdrew British troops from
the Palestine-Syrian frontier. anc
the Holy Land side of the border
now is patrolled by the Irans-Jor-
dan frontier force and the Arat
Legion. The Trans-Jordan frontier
force is an Arab unit set up under
Palestine law and composed Of
Arabs from Palestine and Trans
Jordan. The Arab Legion, part Of
the army of King Abdullah of Trans.
Jordan, is officered by the British
Units of the Legion are now in Pal.
estine on loan to the British Army
Some Jews expressed anxiety be.
cause of the non-British character
Of the forces patrolling the Holy
Land frontier opposite the reported
Syrian troop concentrations.
However, Mrs. Coda Myerson, q
former Milwaukee resident now with
the Jewish Agency political depart
!; ment, said last night she had tele-
phoned all the Jewish settlements
/, in the border area and that all
, was quiet there.
/ Other Jewish informahts, mean
while, reported that Hagana-the
self-styled Jewish defense army
had completed preparations for
total mobilization" in event OF
: . CT, wit !, 4 ~ u,o1 F~1,,. n,J