Roanoke Rapids daily herald., 1948-09-19
Palestine Tense
AS Government
Seeks Killers


the assassination of UN mediator
Count Bernadotte today and be-
gan moving troops into position
in fear of full scale war with
the Arabs.
More than 100 persons in Jer-
usalem and Tel Aviv were ar
rested as the government threw
the full force of the state into
a vast manhunt with the an
nounced purpose of wiping out
terrorism from Israel.
Jews were called upon to rise
and track down the TRAITORS
in our midst and the "criminal
gang responsible" for the Staying
in Jerusalem yesterday of Count
Bernadotte and his French aide,
Col. Andre Serot.
All Jerusalem's 10000 Jews
were placed under virtual house
Arrest until further notice by a
curfew. All roads were closed
to exit or entry into the holy
city, and all ports and airfields
were closed temporarily to de-
partures from Israel in order to
aid in the search.
In widespread hunts in Jerus-
alem for Sternists 60 were arrest
ed. More than 40 were netted in
Tel Aviv.
The government said none of
those arrested was member of
the Jewish army.
There were no outbreaks here
such as threatened civil war
last June when the government
moved against Irgun Zvai Leumi
in the case of an arms ship
landings.
Stern leaders were noticeably
absent from their usual haunts
in offices and cafes.
Notes signed by the "Father-
land Front" were slipped under
the doors of consulates in Jers-
alem last night saying 1--WE killed
Bernadotte because he was work
ing for the British" The organ
ization has been unknown here
tofore.
Leaders of both the Stern and
Irgun bands in Jerusalem vigor-
ously denied responsibility for
the killings.
The American consul in Jeru-
salem in his first reports of the
jeep-borne Staying, said it was
presumed members of the tight
ly disciplined Stern band, be-
lieved to number only about l,
600 men, were responsible.
Up to noon today, howvere,
the Stern group had issued no
official announcement. Hereto
fore it always has announced bv
radio or poster within "a hours
any act for which it admitted
responsibility.
In Paris Secretary-General
Trygve Lie of the UN demanded
Stern measures to protect the
lives of-united Nation peace
makers. The assassination. he
said, was "direct act OF at
tempted interference" with ef-
forts to settle the Palestine ques-
ton. The Security Council sched-
uled a meeting early next week
to receive the slain Bernadotte's
50, 600 word report of his Pale
stlne peacemakers efforts.
Throughout the world, Jews.
Arabs, and Christians expressed
regret at the incident, feared it
would bring new bloodshed to
Palestine, and wondered whether
1t would endanger the existence
of the Jewish state.
The action of the Israel armv
In moving into position presun-
ably was occasioned by fears
the Arabs would take advantage
OF the chaotic situation created
by Bernadotte's death.
Only two days ago Foreign
Minister Moshe Shertok and the
chief of Israel's army operations
told a news conference the Arabs
were missing "under the eyes of
U. N. observers" and that an i'm
minent end to the two-months
truce was threatened.
Correspondents and U. N. OBJ
servers who visited the northern,
central and southern sectors said
today tension was high all along
the front.
Other reports said the massing
OF Arab troops and equipment
was visible in many places, and
that a single shot might ignite
the whole line from the Syrian
border to the Negeb desert.
A government statement today
declared it regarded the as
sasslnations as an appalling out
rage and an attack on the author
lty of the U. N. and the sover-
eighty of Israel.
The government of Israel S
outraged by the appalling crime
committed yesterday in Jerus-
alem, when U. N. mediator Count
Bernadottte and his assistant,
Col. Serot, were assassinated
within the area under control
and defense of the state of Is
rael," said the statement.
The government statement was
made after Ralph Bun ch e,
American acting mediator since
Bernadotte's death, telegraphed
Shertok that the assassina ton