Evening star., 1948-05-10
Hagana Drives Arabs
Off Tel Ayiv Highway,
Vital Supply Route
By Corter L. Dovidson

Assoeioted Press Foreign CorfeSponden
JERUSALEM, May 10.-TWc
Hagana brigades drove the Arabs
off the Tel Aviv-Jerusalem sup
ply route today and carried the
raging fight into the Judear
hills.
The road itself, though still
slashed by Arab barricades, is safe
The Hagana fighters scored theil
success at Bah Ell Wad, 10 mile
west of Jerusalem.
This reporter and three othel
newsmen walked through the noun
tain pass today. Sounds Of fighting
came from all four sides of us anc
occasional stray bullets whineo
above.
Stone Barriers Abandoned.
Inside the deep gorge through
which the macadam road winds az
a funnel for supplies needed ir
Jerusalem. there otherwise was
deathly stiffness. A Hagana escort
got within sight of the first layers
of Arab stoneWork across the roao
and refused to go on.
We haven't taken those two hills
yet" he said, pointing to crests he
identified as hills 7 and 81.
s@ We LETT him by the roadside and
walked on There was not a move
ment in the hills. Not shot was
fired at US, although we were OBJ
viously targets because we walked
from the Jewish lines.
= After climbing over eight barriers
OF stone we returned to the CON-
raand post of the Hagana advance
battalion. A young and battle
seasoned major there expressed
surprise that we weren't shot. He
sent patrol out hastily to investi'
gate.
Heights Occupied Earlier.
A reliable Jewish source previous.
Ii had said Hagana had occupied
all strategic heights on both side!
Of Bah El Wad.
-. The bitterest fighting has beer
for the Arab village of Belt Mahsir
Just over the hilltop from the high
Way at its deepest point, The Ha'
CANA command said no attempt ha!
been made to capture the village
but merely to surround 1t with NOR.
Tar and machinegun strong points
The Arabs counterattacked for five
hours this morning but failed tt
dlslodge the Jews.
- A British military source gave {
different version. He said 400 Jews
attacked Belt Mahsir. but that 60(
Arab irregulars repulsed the at
tack. Further Arab reinforcements
We're reported brought in from Ra.
rnallah, north of Jerusalem.
= A Red Cross representative
jacques Dereynier. said the agency
is awaiting written request from
Arabs and Jews to take over Jerusa.
lem as a neutral zone. The highest
Arab and Jewish authorities already
have approved, he said.
Would Disarm Both Sides.
r The conversion of Jerusalem into
. Red Cross zone would entail the
: disarming of all Jews and Arabs ir
the city. Jewish and Arab civi
authorities would be retained witt
the Red Cross as intermediary. Re
specting Arab and Jewish police
forces would maintain order. Un
armed food conveys flying the Rec
Cross flag would be allowed free pas
sage into the city.
The Arab port of Jafa may be-
come an open city as well.
The Palestine government pub
lished a letter from the Municipa
Emergency Committee of Jaffa say
ing this town will not be used TO
military purposes" The letter wa
sent to the British district commits
sioner with a copy to the United
Nations truce commission.
Typhoid in Walled City.
The Arab Medical Association
last night reported several cases o
typhoid in Arab quarters of Jerusa'
lens old Walled City, following
typhoid outbreaks in Acre anc
Halta.
tJewish sources in Haifa report
ed an Arab-Jewish truce last
might to let food conveys through
to Arab Acre and Western Cali
lee Jewish settlements.
Can Arab convoy went to
Haifa, but Jewish convoy
stopped at Nahariya for want of
an Arab safe-conduct guar
.antee.D
Jerusalem Arabs and Jews got
draft proposals last night for per-
manent truce in the city. extending
a temporary one in effect since
Saturday.
The proposals came from Gen.
Sir Alan Gordon Cunningham,
British high commissioner for
Palestine, who had talked with
both sides.
Premier designate David Ben
Gurion, chairman Of the Jewish
Agency, said in Tel Aviv last night,
an a few days, I believe. a Jewish
state will be erected" opening a
S20,000,000 loan drive, he told his
audience the states May Military
budget is $l2,000,0Oo.
:. King Abduliah of Trans-Jora n
got telegram in Amman from King
Ibn Saud of Saudi Arabia yesterday
saying Ibn Saud had put ''aE my
armies at your disposal for the fight
In Palestine"
An announcement that Ibn Saud
had pledged military aid against the
Jews was made in Baghdad by Pre-
miers Jamil Mardam Bey of Syria
snd Riad El Solh of Lebanon, re-
turned from his capital in Riyadh.
In Cairo, the command of volun-
teers, Southern Palestine Front,
handed out communique repeating
its claim that volunteer Egyptian
force penetrated 80 miles into Pales-
tine Saturday.
Palestine reports gave no confirm
alton of this. Neither did any Of
flcialS.
4 ls1I