יומנים > יומן - מלא 04/02/1948

[Wednesday,] February 4, 1948

Kaplan gave me a financial statement: Shevah [Slavin - in the US] received 1,800,000; Pino [Ginzburg] has 350,000 for him; here he pledged to give him 50,000 - the total for Shevah 2,560,000. For Yehuda [Arazi] 1,450,000, for Munya [Mardor] 500,000, for Ehud [Avriel] 1,300,000, for Europe [Haganah and its representatives] 475,000, for clandestine immigration (Pino) 625,000, and the 5707 (1946-1947) in-country budget is 600,000. In total P£ 1,600,000; of this for new purchases $ 3,250,000.

       The report I received from Shevah: Up to December 1, 1947 we received $ 1,282,133; received P£ 40,000 in-country for credit in America of $ 160,000, still to receive from Kopelman [sp.] 587,866, in total $ 2,030,000. The sum still due (587,000) is intended: 330,000 for payment for orders that were already delivered: steel, chemicals, machines, the rest (257,000) for orders that need to be placed once there's a plan for establishing the industry.

       (To his credit he calculates: 1945 base budget: 750,000, chemicals supplement 100,000. Supplement for pipeline 100,000, supplement for [?] 80,000 = 1,030,000 total. Budget for actualization of materials in America (?) 1 million.)

       Aside from these sums he should, in his opinion, receive in exchange for $ 1 million to be transferred to the country and intended for industry: establishment of a chemical industry for DDT, Blass [?], acids and glycerin 150,000, a nail factory 70 [thousand], a factory for machines 80 [thousand], series of tests for nails and bullets 50 [thousand] - total 350,000 (dollars).

       Towards this transfer half a million was sent to the country, but the exchange wasn't paid aside from P£ 20,000, which he received yesterday. Another 350,000 was sent to Pino, for which he hasn't yet received the exchange. Another 150,000 needs to be sent. The exchange for the million is between P£ 350,000 and 380,000. He's received 20,000, should receive another P£ 330,000-360,000.

       - David [Shaltiel] is demanding a budget [for SHAI] for the next three months: P£ 14,500 per month instead of 11,500. The increase: Arab Department 4,000 instead of 3,000, internal 2,500 (no change), security 1,500 (1,000). Political 2,000 (1,000), networks and technical 1,000, management 3,500 (3,000), in total 14,500 (11,500).

       - At 6 p.m. foreign press - questions and answers.

       - In the evening Shkolnik [Eshkol] came to see me. They've resolved the "chemistry dispute" (for now?): The "doctor" [Shamgar] and Bograd [Shlomo], Raanan Weitz, Vilenchuk, and Shkolnik will constitute a collective management for all the factories. Raanan will be the coordinator. He's seeking to expedite the transfer of machines from the Dead Sea because gangs are assembling there, and before long it might not be possible to do so. The management designated a budget of P£ 100,000 for factories: Tel Aviv 35,000, Upper Galilee 20,000, Haifa 15,000, Jerusalem 10,000, Negev 20,000. The urgent ones, in my opinion, are Haifa and Jerusalem, second tier are Tel Aviv and Upper Galilee.

       - Levi Shkolnik met with Mrs. Cohen. He got the impression that she is a person of means. She purchased 24 bombers (or wreckages of bombers) for P£ 10,000 in ''Akir [Tel Nof]. Need to send Aharon Remez to examine whether some will be capable of doing the job.

       - [Moshe] Novomeysky [from the Palestine Potash Company] complains: 85 men came in two groups to the north [of the Dead Sea, to the Kalya factory]. Initially 50 of them came and then sailed south [to Sdom], and on the following day another 35 came and stayed in the north. Aside from beds and a very small amount of flour, they're not equipped with anything - even though they were sent to a desolate location. Most of them are religiously observant and are demanding kosher food. Because ties with Transjordan have been severed there are no provisions: meat, vegetables, eggs. All the supplies have to come from Jerusalem. The group is also badly organized - it has no leadership whatsoever. The promises they make are not fulfilled. Their representative, named "Yisrael" from Jerusalem, promised to go with [Misha] Kaminer [sp.] [from the company's management] to sort things out, but he went alone, without any contact with Kaminer.

       35 were delayed in the north - and are being provided with food from the factory. They're asking for wages of 325 mil per person per day, but refused to take on any guard duties. He's asking for someone responsible to meet with Kaminer and make all the arrangements to head down to the southern Dead Sea and organize everything properly.