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WORLD GRIEF, INDIGNATION AT BERNADOTTE
ASSASSINATION; U.N. OBSERVER
HOLDS ISRAEL RESPONSIBLE
Australian Associated Press
LONDON, Sun. - Messages from statesmen all over the world express sympathy and deep in-
dignation at the murder in Jerusalem on Friday of the United Nations Mediator in Pales-
tine (Count Folke Bernadotte). American U.N. observer Ralph Bunsche, who saw the shooting,
said yesterday the Israeli Government must accept full responsibility for the outrage.
MR BUNCHE said the murders of
Count Bernadotte and Col
Serot, another U.N. observer who
was in the car, were an outrage
against the international commun-
ity and unspeakable violation of
elementary morality. It consti-
tuted a breach of the truce of the
utmost gravity.
News of the assassination was
conveyed to the King at Balmoral
Palace.
"The Times'.' said Count Berna-
dotte clearly was done to death
because a peaceful end of the
Palestine conflict would leave un-
satisfied the ambitions of intem-
perate men. It was now the duty
of nations to carry his work to its
end. The danger was that his
death might once more stir up
hate and passion.
At the opening of yesterday's
Security Council meeting in Paris,
Sir Alexander Cadogan, this month's
President, expressed horror at the
"senseless and disastrous crime." He
said there could be no question of
relinquishing Count Bernadotte's
work.
The Secretary-General of the
U.N. (Mr Lie) said Friday's crime
brought the total of U.N. observers
killed in the Middle East to nine.
The question of protection for those
serving the U.N. must be answered.
"Dastardly Crime"
The British Foreign Secretary
(Mr Bevin) yesterday sent a mes-
sage of sympathy to the Swedish
Foreign Minister, saying: "This das-
tardly crime against a devoted U.N.
servant wall be condemned by the
whole civilised world. We must all
resolve that his work will not have
been in vain."
Moscow Radio broadcast news of
the atrocity without comment, but
Russian-licensed newspapers in Ber-
lin, in common with almost the
whole of the world Press, bitterly
condemned the murderers.
Messages of sympathy to Sweden,
where King Gustav broke down and
wept when he heard of his nephew's
death, included tributes from the
Australian Prime Minister (Mr
Chifley), European statesmen, Unit-
ed Nations leaders, President Tru-
man, Arab and Israeli Government
officials, King Abdullah of the
Transjordan, New Zealand, and Red
Cross leaders.
A spokesman for the American
Friends of the Fighters for the
Freedom of Israel said: "As far
as we are concerned, Bernadotte
was a British agent. But for him
the Arabs would not be in Jeru-
salem today. It was not the
work of irresponsible individuals.
It would never have been carried
out unless it had the approval of
the entire Jewish nation."
Point-Blank Range
Count Bernadotte and Col Serot
were shot at point-blank range by
a man, believed to be a member of
the Stern Gang, when their car
was held up by four men in a jeep.
An American U.N. security of-
ficer, Col. Frank Begley, who was
slightly wounded in the face, said
afterwards he saw the gunman, who
was snarling, approaching from the
jeep. He started to get out of the
car, and the gunman fired at the
same time.
Mr Bunche said the attackers
were dressed in Israeli Army uni-
forms.
Col Begley found Count Berna-
dette still alive when he returned
to the car after trying to catch
the assassins, and raced to a hos-
pital, but the count died as he
was placed on a stretcher. Col
Serot was killed instantly.
C. L. Sulzberger, of the "New
York Times," said at the weekend
he had been told by Stern Crang
members in Tel Aviv in July that
they intended to kill Count Berna-
dette "and any other uniformed
United Nations observers who come
to Jerusalem."
He said they told him they were
determined to seize al Jerusalem
for the State of Israel and would
brook no interference by any na-
tional or international body.
The situation in Jerusalem was
tense at the weekend. Observers
were in constant danger.
Count Bernadotte left sealed in-
structions in Stockholm before he
returned to Palestine earlier this
month on the way he would like tc
be buried. These have not beer
opened, but his relatives favour cre-
mation in Palestine so that his
ashes might be taken to Sweden by
air.
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