Biggest Battle of War on Highway to Tel Aviv; New Peace Pleas in U.N., Associated Press, San Francisco Chronicle, May 28, 1948.

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Britain Offers To Join Sanction If Plan Rejected

By the Associated Press

LAKE SUCCESS. May 27-Britain tonight demanded a four-week armistice in Palestine and peaceful settlement of the Holy Land conflict.

British Delegate Sir Alexander Cadogan told the Security Council if this attempt at peaceful solution failed, Britain would be ready to go along with the other nations on strong enforcement measures.

Cadogan called on both Jews and Arabs to order a cessation of all acts of armed force for 2 period of four weeks. He also demanded that both sides stop introducing fighting men and materials into Palestine during that period.

Cadogan told the council also that Britain would join a world-wide arms embargo on Arabs and Jews alike if the council decides upon that step.

By the United Press

LAKE SUCCESS, May 27-Russia formally proposed before the Security Council today that the United Nations order Arabs and Jews to end the Palestine war within 36 hours or risk punitive action.

Soviet Delegate Gromyko, pointing to the failure of the weak ceasefire appeal adopted by the Council Saturday, revived the defeated American plan to declare the Palestine fighting a threat to world peace.

This theoretically would open the door to use of an economic blockade or U. N. military force against either side which failed to comply with a cease-fire “order.”

BRITISH STATEMENT

The Soviet demand followed a British announcement that Sir Alexander Cadogan, Britain’s delegate, was prepared to make “an important statement” to the Council shortly.

(Associated Press reported a British spokesman told reporters Cadogan had received new instructions Thursday afternoon. The instruction were dispatched to Lake Success after a forenoon special Cabinet meeting in London.)

Meanwhile, in Washington President Truman said it is up to the Security Council to decide whether this country lifts its embargo on shipments of arms to Palestine.

He also indicated that if the New Jewish state of Israel gets a loan from the United States, it will be an economic rehabilitation loan through the usual channels, and not an emergency grant for buying arms.

STILL IN EFFECT

The Chief Executive said the U. S. arms embargo was imposed originally at the request of the United Nations, and he added that it will remain in effect until the Security Council makes some decision about the Jewish-Arab war.

(Associated Press said Mr. Truman emphasized that the American embargo on arms shipments to the Near Eastern countries is based on a request from the United Nations last fall that member governments act to minimize the fighting between Jews and Arabs in Palestine.)

When a reporter asked how Britain could ship arms to the Arabs while this country could not ship arms to Jews, Mr. Truman said he does not think the two situations are parallel.

After all, he said, this country is probably better equipped than any other country in the world to ship arms.

LOAN DISCUSSION

Mr. Truman said he discussed the question of a loan to the Jewish state with Provisional President Chaim Weismann of Israel, who called at the White House earlier this week.

Asked whether the loan would be granted, Mr. Truman replied that if a loan is necessary after the Jewish state is fully in existence, then Israel will have to apply for it through the usual channels. He mentioned the usual channels. He mentioned the Export-Import Bank and the World Bank as possible sources.

A reporter pointed out that Weizmann had publicly stated Israel’s intention of using part of the loan to buy planes and tanks and that this would be an illegal use of Export-Import Bank funds.

Mr. Truman replied that Weizmann did not tell him for what purpose Israel wanted a loan, and did not make a formal application for any specific amount. The new state, he added, wants a loan just like any other country in the world.

Struggle for Vital Point Near Jerusalem

By the Associated Press

The fiercest battle of the Palestine war was reported raging Thursday night along the Jerusalem road to Tel Aviv.

The Voice of Jerusalem, a Haganah station in the besieged city, said thousands of soldiers on both sides had been thrown into combat in a wide area around Latrun, former British internment camp for Jews, and the gorge of Bab El Wad, 15 miles west of Jerusalem.

Jewish censorship blacked out all news of the combat from Tel Aviv, but Jerusalem dispatches 24 hours old said the center of the battle for Jerusalem was shifting to the strategic highway.

Arab political sources in Cairo indicated the Egyptians may have taken over the main attack against Jerusalem itself, possibly because Arab Legion forces had been rushed to the highway battle.

However, the Legion claimed a major victory in the Holy City, according to correspondents with the Trans-Jordan forces inside the old walled city area.

HUGE SYNAGOGUE

Arab leaders said Legion infantry captured and occurred Thursday morning the great Hurva Synagogue.

During the past few days, Arabs have described the massive synagogue as the last stronghold of Haganah and Irgun Zvai Leumi soldiers in the old city.

The Legion assaulted the synagogue under covering fire from the Trans-Jordan force’s armored cars. Jewish defenders of H(??) fled and scattered into the rubble-strewn area of less than 200 yards square which they still hold, the Arabs reported.

Earlier advances indicated the Jerusalem-Tel Aviv highway battle may have been set off by a determined Jewish effort to open the road to needed food and supplies for the Holy City’s 100,000 Jews and the hard-pressed defenders of the old city. The road crosses what would be Arab territory under the U. N. partition plan.

REINFORCEMENTS

The Voice of Jerusalem broadcast said Arab Legion forces had been drawn off from the battle in Jerusalem itself to keep the Arab grip on the highway. Arab communiques Wednesday night declared 3000 Jews had been thrown into one fight and 800 Jews killed. The Jews have given no casualty figures.

A Tel Aviv communique said Jewish planes bombed Biddu, north of the road. A site for Arab artillery.

The Egyptian-led attack was against the new section of Jerusalem, which is largely held by the Jews.

The offensives were launched from the area of disputed Ramat Rehel, two miles south of Jerusalem, against the Jewish fortress settlement of Talpiyot, and the residential suburbs of Mekor Haim, Upper Baqaa, Katamon and the German and Greek districts of the Holy City.

The Egyptians were aided in the thrusts, it was reported, by some Arab Legionnaires and Arab irregulars.

Indications were that the Arabs planned to tighten the encirclement of the Jews in the modern city after wiping out the small Jewish garrison cornered in the walls of the old city.

While the battle went on King Abdullah of Trans-Jordan, wearing white silk head dress and smart khaki battle dress, visited Jerusalem’s old city. He prayed at the Holy Sepulchre, Calvary and the Mosque of Omar-Christian and Moslem shrines-for blessings on the Arab cause and defeat of the “Invaders.”

Repeating tactics which had succeeded in the eastern front below the Sea of Galiles and on the northern frontiers, the Jews declared in a communique they had lashed out at the Egyptians on the southern front Wednesday night and “completely destroyed” an advanced Egyptian position at Beit Hanan, five miles north of Gaza.

The communique said a raiding party killed about 30 Egyptians and captured and destroyed three heavy guns.

Abdel Raham Azzam Pasha, secretary general of the Arab League said in Cario that a third of Israel’s army of about 45,000 well-trained troops, is in Jerusalem. He indicated Arab strategy was to keep supply lines cut and beat the Jews into submission with shells, thirst and hunger rather than by house to house combat.

“We could have taken Jerusalem earlier, but we did not want to sacrifice more men when we are sure of the ultimate result following complete encirclement of the Jews in Jerusalem,” he said.

Azzam Pasha had just returned from conferences in Amman, Trans-Jordan, on the war against Israel. Referring to the Arab rejection of an unconditional truce, he said that “to stop fighting now does not mean peace but just a postponement of the war for a short period, after which fighting will be terrible and battles more destructive than now.”