Arms Sale for Palestine Being Studied, Associated Press, San Francisco Chronicle, Jan. 13, 1948.

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ASBURY PARK, N. J., Jan. 12 (AP)—Spurred by the demands of two Congressmen for an explanation of the sale of 199 tons of war surplus high explosives earmarked for Palestine and seized in a two-State roundup, Federal officials today studied legal aspects of the transactions.

The Jewish Agency for Palestine said over the week end it had made the financial arrangements for the quantity of explosives found here Thursday, and stated the materials were “legally procured to await legitimate shipment.”

Leonard M. Weisman, exporter who aided the Jewish Agency purchase of the explosives, said in New York that counsel would be engaged to bring suit to recover 130 tons confiscated by authorities.

Weisman said at a news conference attorneys would request the authorities holding the explosives to turn them over to a properly authorized trucking company for shipment to a storage warehouse in this country, to be held until export licenses could be obtained to send them to Palestine.

Weisman said the explosives, bought with funds sent here by the Palestine Jewish Agency, were for the use of Haganah, Jewish defense force in Palestine, and were to have been shipped to arrive after May 15, 1948, the date set for partition of Palestine. He said they were to be used for defense purposes only.

The two Congressmen, Representatives Taber (R., N. Y.), and Auchinloss (R., N. J.), demanded the War Assets Administration and the War Department explain why the Army surplus explosives were being sold “at a time like this.”

The State Department had banned shipments of arms and munitions to the Middle East since December 5.