The Mercury (Hobart, Tas. : 1860 - 1954)(about) |
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Monday 20 September 1948
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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.