Jews Gain Control, Arabs Shell City, United Press, Topeka State Journal, May 18, 1848.

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(The following dispatch detailing the fight for Jerusalem was received Monday through U. S. Navy communications. Normal communication between Jerusalem and the United States has been cut off since Friday. This dispatch was made available by the Navy on a pooled basis.)

Jerusalem, Sunday, May 16 (AP)-Arab artillery shells fell Sunday in the heart of Jerusalem, now virtually all in the hands of the Army of Israel after 51 hours of furious street fighting.

Lashing out with machine guns and mortars within seconds after the British government and army evacuated the city Friday morning, Jewish forces swiftly overran British-evacuated positions and started knifing toward Arab territory.

The first efforts of Israel’s fighters were two-fold- To blockade the city against possible invasion from the Arab nations, and to isolate the old walled city, Arab guerrilla headquarters and the most hallowed square mile in all Christendom.

In the most spectacular venture of the Holy Land’s civil war, Jewish “Freedom Fighters” (the Stern group) scaled the walls of the old city and occupied two Arab houses. The Sternists made a lightning thrust Saturday morning to reach the wall and raised ladders to scale the ancient parapet. They stayed ten hours inside and withdrew.

THE NEUTRAL POWERS, the United Nations Truce commission of the American, French and Belgian consuls, and the International Red Cross, are working desperately and often dangerously to arrange a cease-fire for the beleaguered Holy City.

The Jews have agreed to a cease fire-for truce talks-but the Arabs at noon Sunday still are awaiting approval from their “general officer commanding,” King Abdullah in Amman, Trans-Jordan.

The Jewish agency agreed Sunday to modify the form of the international Red Cross plan to make Jerusalem a neutral security or “hospital” zone. Arab leaders said they referred the whole question to King Abdullah in Amman but up to noon Monday received no answer.

Abdullah, as commander in chief of all Arab regular and irregular forces in Palestine, agreed to a truce in Jerusalem last Friday on condition that the Jews stay on their positions and attempt no further advances. But by the time the U. N. representative, Dr. Pablo Azearte, and the chairman of the security council truce commission, Belgian Consul Jean Niewenhuys, who had acted as intermediaries, got back to Jerusalem, Haganah was already overrunning the town.

THREE TIMES that day-at noon, 1-30 p. m. and 5 p. m.-the truce commission tried to get a cease fire so they could meet with the Jews and Arabs, but each attempt failed. At 5 p. m. the firing died down, but Arabs said they were down, but Arabs said they were still unable to reach the French consulate.

Consuls Niewenhuys of Belgium, Thomas C. Wasson of the United States and Rene Neuville of France then agreed that Bed Cross representative Jacques De Reynier should approach both sides in an effort to get an agreement to his scheme.

The Jewish agency, after going over the same ground with the truce commission with Red Cross endorsement.

Two main points of discussion remain the following-

1. The road to Jerusalem (from Tel Aviv) how convoys would be supervised, what they would contain, and whether all roads used by Jews and Arabs would be subject to the same rules.

2. Demilitarization, whether it means the exit of fighting forces or merely disarming.

A Jewish agency spokesman said Monday Jews as well as a neutral negotiator had observed a lessening of Arab interest since the Arab regular armies began marching.