U.S. Consul Dies of Palestine Wounds, Associated Press, The Atlanta Journal, May 23, 1948.

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JERUSALEM, May 23.-(Sunday)-(AP)-Consul General Thomas C. Wasson died here at 6 a. m. Sunday (11 p. m. Saturday, EST). Vice Consul William C. Burdett of Macon, Ga., announced. Wasson was shot Saturday returning from trying to arrange an Arab-Jewish truce in the Holy Land.

Egyptian mobile forces Saturday night reached Bethlehem, only five miles from the embattled city of Jerusalem where the Arab legion has Jewish defenders bottled in the old Walled City.

In Jerusalem Jewish troops were prevented by the Arab legion from fighting their way through to their besieged comrades. An estimated 600 Israeli soldiers were beaten off in their three-and-a-half-hour assault at the Zion gate in the south wall.

Then the Arab legionnaires resumed their attack on the defenders in the old city. Hard-pressed and apparently running short of ammunition, the Jewish troops there used ancient underground passages to aid their defense.

The United Nations Security Council, failing to accept Russian and American demands for strong action, issued its second demand on the Jews and Arabs to cease fire. It fixed a deadline of 36 hours after midnight Saturday. The Council had received a report that the fighting in Jerusalem is rapidly destroying the old city.

British military headquarters at Haifa announced that RAF fighter pilots shot down four Egyptian Spitfires which had attacked the British airfield at Ramit David. 14 miles southeast of Haifa.

The Egyptian communique said the Egyptian air force had attacked the field by mistake.