Evening star., 1948-06-29
u. ). Submits Proofs
That Warship Did Not
She'll Arab Positions
Evidence Is Presented to
League os 1t Confers in
Cairo on U. N. Proposals
BY the Associated Press

CAlRO. June Z9.-lne ArdD
League reported today that the
American Naval Attache had
given his proofs" that an Amer
ican warship could not have
shelled Arab positions in Pales-
tine as Syria contends it did.
The American rebuttal was re-
ported by Abdel Rahman Azzam
Pasha. secretary general of the
Arab League.
Azzam Pasha made his statement
after conference with American
Charge d'Affaires Jefferson Patter-
son and the Naval Attache, Capt.
William R. Headden.
Earlier in the day Muhsen al
Barazi Syrian Interior Minister,
said his government protested to
Count Folke Bernadotte, United
Nations peace maker for Palestine,
that an American ship on truce
patrol for the mediator intervened
in an Arab-Jewish battle at Al
Barwa. This point is about miles
inland from the coast of Northern
Palestine.
Statement Promised.
Azzam Pasha said Mr.. Patterson
supplied him with all information
the American representative had
gathered on the incident. The Amer
lean Embassy said a thorough check
was being made and that a state
ment would be issued tomorrow.
A high Arab source said, mean
while, that Arabs will resume war
while pursuing peace talks" if nego-
tiations toward a settlement in Pal
eStine are unfinished at the end of
the month-long truce expiring
July g.
The Arab informant, who refused
to be quoted by name, said counter
asked for by Count Ber-
nadotte in submitting his peace
proposals yesterday, may lead to ex-
tension Of the talks beyond July 9.
Arab nation representatives were
in Cairo for League discussion of the
1tl PlopOSdlS. dIlu
them was AL Barazi.
No Word Of Protest Received.
In Washington the State Depart
ment said it had received no Off
cial word of the Syrian protest. A
department spokesman said Ameri-
can destrovers were in the Pales-
tine area only as observers of the
U. N. truce.
The captains were under strict
orders not to fire. not to search and
not to board other vessels" the
spokesman said.
Count Bernadottes Cairo repre-
sentative, j. Escarati. said he knew
nothing about the warship incident.
Syrian Premier Jamii Mardam
Bey, who announced the league
meeting from Damascus, said Count
Bernadotte's new peace proposals
will in no way modify our attitude
of rejecting partition and a Jewish
state in Palestine
The proposals also have been for
Warded to the Jews in Tel Aviv.
Count Bernadotte said he asked
both parties to refrain from sugges-
tions or publishing the proposals
until he has received their replies.
Jewish and Arab experts consulted
with Count Bernadotte at his Rhodes
headquarters. when he drew up the
Two Kings Meet.
The Cairo newspaper Al Ahram
ran a dispatch from Saudi Arabia
last night that Official talks on the
Palestine problem between King
Ibn Saud and King Abdullah of
Trans-Jordan, began Sunday in
The dispatch quoted Abdullah as
saying that if Count Bernadottes
mediation fails, the world will wit
ness the result of the participation
of Saudi Arabian forces in the Pales-
tine flghting"
In Haifa the British are speeding
their evacuation. Yesterday they
released 13 Jewish prisoners held as
dangerous" to Britain. Six of them
had drawn death sentences, later
commuted to life imprisonment, for
taking part in an attack on rail
shops during the British mandate.