The U.N. Is Seeking Complete Disarming of Jerusalem, United Press, San Francisco Chronicle, July 22, 1948.

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RHODES. July 21 (U.P.)-Count Folke Bernadotte, briefing American and Belgian observer teams, asserted today the Palestine truce “will and must” be enforced until peace is assured.

Bernadotte, United Nations mediator in Palestine. said his first objective is to demilitarize Jerusalem.

(Arab and Jewish commanders signed a truce agreement Wednesday fixing boundaries in Jerusalem. The meeting was so cordial, the fact that they still are enemies was obscured, a combined press dispatch from Associated Press in the Holy City reported.

(A three-man Consular Truce Commission on which U. S. Consul General John Joseph MacDonald of St. Louis served supervised. U. S. Major Nicholas Andronovich of Atlanta, Ga., represented the United Nations mediator.

(Both sides agreed to respect lines they occupied when the last cease-fire began on July 17, Lieutenant Colonel Abdullah Tell of the Trans-Jordan Arab Legion and Brigadier General David Shaltiel of Israel signed the accord.)

Officers briefed by Bernadotte today-19 Americans and 25 Belgians, most of them airmen-were ordered to proceed to posts throughout the Holy Land tomorrow.

Bernadotte said that, within the next few days, 125 United States, 123 French and 50 Belgian observers would receive instructions here and take up posts in Palestine.

Meanwhile, Bernadotte’s office here received four Arab complaints of Jewish truce violations and reports from Palestine said fighting between Jews and Syrians continued for the third straight day in the north.

(Associated Press reported from Cairo that even in the northern sector, fighting appeared to be slackening.

(A Syrian communique said an enemy plane raided the area of Baniyas, just across the border in Syria. Both Jews and Arabs accused each other of violating the truce, the Associated Press said.

(A United Press Cairo dispatch said anti-aircraft guns went into action and air raid sirens shrilled there early Thursday. There were no reports of bombs being dropped.)

Bernadotte said a Swedish general or admiral would be his senior officer in charge of observation teams, Colonel Nils Brunsson, senior Jerusalem observers, organized the deployment of peace teams to various armies and key points.

Each observation team will have a radio set, enabling it to keep in touch with headquarters and other teams. The communications network was set up by U. S. Brigadier General Frank E. Stoner, chief United Nations communications officer.

Stoner said powerful radio sets were on route from the United States. The United Nations will establish communications between Rhodes and Lake Success and between New York and Tel Aviv, he said.

In his briefing message, Bernadotte told the U. N. observers-

“I know perfectly well you are unhappy to be here and you had planned to spend time with your families. (But) the difference in the truce is that the previous one was arranged for four weeks, while this one will and must continue until there is a peaceful adjustment in Palestine.”

Ralph Bunche, chief secretary of the U. N., told the observers- “Your work is to stop war, which could possibly be dangerous not only for this area, but for a greater one. Maintaining peace is often more difficult than fighting a war.”

Bunche said the present truce is different from the last 30-day cease-fire because “this time it has been ordered by the Security Council and not by an agreement (of Arabs and Jews) like the last one.”

(Meanwhile. in Tel Aviv, Yigal Yaind. Israeli army chief of operations estimated today Arab armies suffered 5090 casualties during the nine days of fighting between the Palestine truces.

(He said the loss in killed, wounded, captured or deserted amounted to about one fifth the strength of the Trans-Jordan, Egyptian, Iraqi, Syrian, Lebanese and irregular armies arrayed against the Jewish state.

(The greatest losses were incurred by the Egyptians in the south and the irregular “Yarmuk” army of Fawzi Pasha El Kaukji in the Nazareth area.

(The Israeli officer said Egypt lost 1950 fighters and the Yarmuk army 1500, of which a third were deserters en masse. He said Egypt also lost 20 tanks and armored cars and the Arab Legion, a full squadron of armor.

(Yadin said the Israeli army captured 500 square miles of Arab territory and regained 127 square miles of Israeli territory.)