יומנים > יומן - מלא 05/02/1948
Thursday, 5 February 1948
I asked Yigael [Yadin] to give orders to Jerusalem to fix matters [in the potash factory] in the north and the south.
- I summoned [Aharon] Remez to have him check Mrs. Cohen's purchase. He'll do this today. Afterwards [Alex] Ziloni came and reported that he'd examined the equipment [planes] and they were nothing but junk that wouldn't be able to serve any purpose.
- Yohanan [Ratner] came. I suggested that he leave his job at the Technion and take on two roles: chief military supervisor of the Executive, and head of the production committee (which will also include chemistry and technology). He's inclined to accept. He handled supervision in the north. Encountered the following fact: in the northern commander's opinion, the Western Galilee is in danger. It had two Palmach platoons, but without his being asked they were removed because they were needed for an operation elsewhere.
[Ratner's] withdrawal from the Technion means shutting down the Architecture Department. It had 6-10 students in practice.
For the production committee Yohanan proposes [Chaim-Hugo] Hyman [sp.] (returns from America next week. He's a professor of industrial chemistry at the Technion) instead of Aharon [Katzir].
- I received a proposed budget for sec [the secessionists]: 3 in operations staff, their salaries 143, expenses 128, office finances 35 - total P£ 306 per month; operations officers 5, their salaries 185, expenses 222, office 83, total 490; surveillance unit managers 5, salaries 155, expenses 140, total P£ 295. Surveillants 40, their salaries 1,200, expenses 500, total 1,700. Propagandists and handling of individual cases 7, their salaries 350, expenses 70, total 420. Operational costs 900, publicity 900, reserve 1,000. Total salaries (60 people) 2,033, expenses 3,861, office 118, in sum 6,102.
If there's even a need for this budget anymore, it's still inflated: why three [people] in the operations staff? And another five operations officers. Surveillants are needed - but their number should be reduced. Propagandists and handling of individual cases aren't necessary in my opinion. Publication and reserve aren't needed. The staff and operations costs should be set at a third, and no more than half.
- The Gush Zebulun [Zebulun Bloc] committee (Ramat Yohanan, Kefar HaMaccabi, Usha, HaYotsrim, HaShahar): They need, as per my conversation with them on January 28: for fencing P£ 500, for guard posts 900, for armoring of vehicles 400, for telephones 250, for spotlights 150, for the fortification of children's barracks 500, in total P£ 2,700 (I passed this along to Ya'akov [Dori] and Moshe Montag [Mann] for their opinions).
- Asher [Asher'ke Peled] (since our last meeting) received 200 rifles, half a million bullets (a quarter of them for small weapons), 18½ tons TNT, 3½ tons [gunpowder] (not included in the shipment received in recent days). Pinchas [Pinek] Waze is handling the port, substituting for Munya [Mardor], who was sent abroad.
Finally the new [gunpowder] (5 tons) has also been unloaded.
- The Negev men came to see me - Elhanan [Yishai], Shimon [Peres], and Asher [Ben-Natan]. I told them that next week the overall framework for the Negev project will be set up, after which we'll make the necessary arrangements for the mobilization of the first two hundred to Sdom [to proceed southward from there].
- At 6 p.m. Yohanan [Ratner] and [Katzir] returned from the experiment with flamethrowers. The small device - which reaches 35 m - was successful. The large one - for a range of 150 - isn't good yet. The necessary fuel reserve is being handled by Dr. Yermiyahu Yaffe [sp.]. Shlomo G. [Gur] is handling the thrower. A committee of
Yigael [Yadin], Yosef R. [Avidar], and Yohanan decided to order 100 throwers once the experiment succeeds. Each thrower will cost about P£ 30. A thousand throwers should be ordered.
Jenka [Ratner] is handling the shell for the Shimshon [blinding agent].
I tasked Yohanan with arranging the industrial production phase for every successful scientific experiment - after he submits a budget to me and gets approval. He is authorized to consult as he sees fit with anyone he deems necessary.
- I told Ya'akov [Dori] not to approve any additional person for the [Palmach] Brigade Staff without my prior approval. At the moment there are three members: Yigal [Allon], Yitzhak Rabin, Eliezer Shoshani. They're about to add Shalom Havlin. They're also proposing Elhanan [Yishai].