867N.4016/89
The Consul General at Jerusalem (Wadsworth) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 17.]
Sir: The feature of chief interest during the past fortnight, I have the honor to report, has been the further development of the Jewish campaign of violence, whose beginning was reported in my despatch No. 961 of June 12, 1939. Jewish direct action has taken chiefly the form of bombing rather than the use of firearms, and has during the period under consideration appeared to be directed more toward sabotage of public utilities than against persons. To this factor, and to the fortunate discovery before its explosion of a bomb which otherwise would undoubtedly have caused the greatest disaster of recent weeks, may be ascribed the fact that casualties have been less numerous than during the preceding two weeks.
There is given below a brief summary of the outstanding acts of violence attributed to Jews during the fortnight.
In the early morning of June 7th four large bombs exploded almost simultaneously in Tel Aviv, putting about 1,100 telephone connections out of order, and doing some damage to the railway. There were no casualties.
On the evening of June 8th fourteen bombs placed in various substations of the electric lighting system, and exploding in rapid succession, plunged nearly half of Jerusalem into darkness. Again there were no casualties, but the material damage done was estimated at £.3,000.
The next object of attack was the General Post Office at Jerusalem, where two bombs exploded inside the wall letter box on the evening of June 10th, doing damage estimated at £.1,000, and slightly injuring five persons. A third bomb found among the wreckage the following [Page 779] morning exploded and killed a British Armoury Sergeant who was endeavoring to dismantle it.
In early morning of June 13th the Post Office at Tel Aviv was the scene of three bomb explosions which demolished the main hall and did damage to the extent of some £.300. Other bombs destroyed six telephone booths in various parts of the city.
What would have been the most serious incident of recent weeks was narrowly averted on June 8th, when a small boy called attention of the police to the fact that a woman in Arab dress, who had joined a group of more than 100 women and children awaiting entrance to the Central Prison on visiting day, had a basket in which were loaves of Jewish bread. Investigation disclosed that the basket concealed a bomb containing six pounds of gelignite and twelve pounds of iron bolts. Its explosion in the crowd at the prison gate would undoubtedly have caused scores of casualties. The woman, a Yemenite Jewess, refused to make any statement as to the source of the bomb. She was tried on June 12th and sentenced to life imprisonment.
Although one or two minor shooting affairs were attributed to Jews during the period, the only serious case involving the use of firearms was on June 12th, when five Arab men were abducted from the small village of Balad esh Sheikh, near Haifa, and were on the following morning found dead. The abductors were described as “dressed in mechanic’s overalls”, and are assumed to have been Jews.
Jewish circles and the Jewish press continue to point to the lack of evidence, in most of these cases, that the perpetrators of the outrages are Jews. The authorities express no doubt on this point, and punishments in the form of curfews and collective fines have in each case been imposed upon Jewish cities or quarters.
Arab terrorist activity during the period showed a definite decrease, but the security forces have continued their patrols and searches with good results. The most important single action was that resulting from operations of troops, with the cooperation of aircraft, south of Tull Karm. Here a band of rebels, believed to be that which killed four soldiers and three constables on June 2nd (see despatch No. 961 of June 12, 1939) was located, and dispersed. Fourteen dead bodies were found after the action, and it is believed that further casualties were inflicted. No losses were suffered by the Government forces.
An encouraging incident, as evidence of the reaction of terrorism in certain Arab villages, occurred south of Nablus on June 6th. There villagers captured a certain Mahfuz Ali Abdul Majid and 10 of his followers, whom they had found asleep. These brigands, who had terrorized the vicinity for many months, were handed over to the authorities.
[Page 780]A second encouraging indication lies in the fact that an increasing proportion of arms located by the security forces are being surrendered voluntarily. During the past two weeks, for instance, 42 rifles and one revolver are reported to have been thus delivered. Other seizures during the period included 20 rifles, 20 pistols, and 4 shotguns.
There is enclosed the usual recapitulation,94 from official reports, of acts of violence during the past fortnight, to which is added a record of military court trials.
Since the foregoing paragraphs were written, there has occurred in Haifa on June 19, the day following the period covered by this report, the most serious incident in the recent Jewish campaign of terrorism. A powerful time bomb exploded in the vegetable market at 6 a.m., killing 18 Arabs and wounding 31 others, two of whom have since died. The killed were 11 men, seven women, and two girls, while six women were among the injured. The explosion occurred at almost the exact spot were 53 Arabs were killed and 52 others wounded by the bomb explosion of July 25, 1938, which remains the most outstanding single outrage from the point of view of casualties during the past three years of strife in this country.
On the subject of Jewish responsibility for recent outrages, it is pertinent to mention that current news items, bearing the hall-mark of official approval, report that the Jewish secret society Irgun Zvai Leumi (National Military Organization of Palestine) has broadcasted statements on its secret radio transmitter boasting of its successes in the killing in Jerusalem on May 29 of a Jewish detective police corporal (despatch No. 949 of May 30 [29] page 7) and in the attack on May 28 on the Arab village Biyar Adas, near Jaffa, when four Arab women and one man were murdered and three men and one girl wounded. The perpetrators of this last mentioned terrorist outrage (despatch No. 961 of June 12) left behind the Zionist flag.
Activities of the Irgun Zvai Leumi were referred to in my despatch No. 866 dated March 7, 1939,94 which enclosed copies of seditious circulars, published and distributed secretly by the society. I am informed by police officials that the press which was printing these circulars was discovered about two months ago and that further circulars have not since appeared. Efforts to apprehend persons concerned with the operation of the press have not as yet been successful. The wireless transmitting station used by the organization has not been located.
Respectfully yours,