יומנים > יומן - מלא 29/03/1948

March 29, 1948 Kolodny [Moshe Kol] proposes sending a mission to Cyprus to all parties, persuade the ma'apilim [clandestine immigrants] [to give up their place in the immigration queue], and allow young people of induction age to immigrate. - David Tidhar is not only engaging in a Yishuv "encyclopedia" (he thinks it will have to include sixty thousand entries…) but is also continuing to deal with defense questions, and there are several practical suggestions in a "report" that he presented me: preparing oil lanterns and electric flashlights-in case they sabotage the electricity; a civil-defense network in the event of an air raid; digging tunnels under Arab buildings that the police are defending (as in Abu Kabir); collecting [accumulating, stockpiling] and confiscating steel, copper, etc.; giving residents sand bottles and stones if weapons aren't available; forbidding the use of private cars without sufficient reason in order to save gasoline; setting up a canteen for police (defenders) so they won't have to queue; establishing positions not only on the frontiers but on every street, and posting [there] elders with Molotov cocktails and the like; in the villages, setting up fortified buildings for times of danger; building a pier in Netanya in the case of a blockade on the Tel Aviv port. - I asked Shevah [Slavin] to report on production: Delivered since October: 3,400 Stens, 5,000 Sten magazines, 4,000 Sten loaders, 55,000 Mills [Mills hand grenades], 45,000 Mills fuses, 4,000 3" rounds (shells?) [81 mm. bombs]. Delivered: more than 1,500,000 9 mm rounds. P£ 70,000-P£ 80,000 was spent on all this. 300 workers are working at our plants now, 200 for subcontractors. The number is steadily growing. From March to August, they are about to turn out 12,000 Stens, 65,000 Sten magazines, 15,000 loaders, 14,000 Mills, 150,000 Mills fuses (if Vilenchuk supplies pins and deto[nators]), 30,000 3" rounds (end of second series), 120 3" mortars (third series), 20,000 iron tails for 2" rounds ([52 mm bombs], 3 million 9 mm rounds, 2 million 0.303 rounds [for an English rifle], 500 machine guns, TNT (if acid arrives)-600-700 workers will work. This program will cost P£ 350,000-P£ 450,000. - [Report] from Vilenchuk: they began to work in the second half of January 1948. 20,000 blast mines have been made, 30,000 [anti-]personnel mines, 12,000 sabotage mechanisms, 10,000 smoke bombs, 250 anti-tank rifles, 5,000 [anti-]vehicle mines. Orders have been placed for 50,000 blast [mines], 70,000 [anti-]personnel, 10,000 anti-vehicle, 50,000 anti-tank shells [for the PIAT], 800 flamethrowers. It'll be completed by end-June or so. The work will be done in 85 factories and will cost P£ 300,000. Spent on chemical manufacture in November-March P£ 110,000 (68,000 investment, 25,000 raw material). There are five plants with 100 workers. They're about to set up seven additional plants. They'll turn out 15 tons of chlorates, 12 tons of cheddite, 4.5 tons of amatol, 27,000 Molotov cocktails, 10,000 primers, 2 million pins, 13,000 blast mines. In March, they're manufacturing 9 tons of chlorates, 12 tons of cheddite, 2 million pins, 13,000 blast mines. Factories are being built for: thane-10 tons per month, nitric acid-10 tons per month, fenta (a raw material for thane), hexa (a raw material for smoke), fuel for flamethrowers, deto[nators]. By mid-May, chlorate production will be increased to 35 tons per month, by August 50 tons per month. 5,000 mines will be filled each month, anti-tank shells [and] improved Molotov cocktails will be filled. Science [Corps report]: At the Esther Lab (established in December 1947), they're producing teargas. Bromide is needed, able to manufacture 60 kg per day. First order for approx. 1 ton, for 3,000 large hand grenades. Lab for D (foliage)-cost P£ 6,000. Six chemists are working here. Lab for F.P., it'll cost P£ 9,000. They began to set it up on March 3; production will begin at the end of this month. Six chemists at work. Lab B-4 chemists, P£ invested. Electronics lab for physical and electrical research established in February. They're now assembling a 25,000 watt broadcasting station there and three substations of 250 watts. They'll finish it in late April. 1,500 invested in the lab, P£ 12,600 in building the station, 14 workers. Bacteriological lab-P£ 800 invested, 6 workers. They'll finish April 6. Physical lab-for research [on] bombs, anti-armor rockets, and infantry to 10-km range. P£ 2,000 invested, 12 workers. Assigned for production: Molotov cocktails, personal mines, blast [mines], anti-vehicle mechanisms, smoke bombs, flamethrowers, material for flamethrower fuel, hexa process for smoke, line process for smoke, PIAT grenade (pierces 60 mm). B.F.P, from October to April, they spent P£ 16,500 on the labs (Esther, bacter, physical), 4,500 on material for them, 7,100 research expenses (university, Technion, Sieff Institute [Rehovot], etc.), field trials and models 4,000, total 32,300. 86 workers (44 in five labs, 42 in physical labs). The mobilized unit has 60 men, in April 40 more. Vil. demands 200,000 for April. He needs P£ 100,000 to buy materials only. Additional orders of mines for the two months will require P£ 275,000 and chemical manufacture for April alone P£ 75,000. To finish the mines, most already made, he will need another P£ 25,000. - It's been asked whether trials with B should be undertaken. At one-fourth phen per portion (40 milligrams per liter are needed)? I answered in the negative. Ezra [Danin] suggests a way to defend abandoned Jewish fields-about 2,000 dunams [200 hectares]. He says 15,000 Arabs have left the Sharon [region], from the northern Yarkon to Tantura. He's sure that Qawuqji isn't an enemy. - At the Committee of Five-[David] Remez didn't come. A new obstruction of the National Committee. - With Bar-Kochba [Meirovitz] and Abba Khoushy: transport by rail to Jerusalem-not very easy. There hasn't been a train to Jerusalem in two weeks. It's up to the railway manager and the army to provide enough escort. [Bar-Kochba] believes transport of oil to Jerusalem may be possible because the Arabs need it, too. The situation at Haifa Port is absolutely bad. There are 12,000 tons of goods at Haifa Port, 8,000 still aboard the ship. It's P£ 10 million worth of property-for the Jews. P£ ¾ million is needed [to pay] customs. The goods: food, vehicles, raw materials. They aren't being unloaded because customs and haulage aren't being paid. They proposed placing it all in demurrage at the port-the port manager is willing to hand it all over to the Chamber of Commerce and the Chamber of Shipping. They're suggesting that the Municipality should take over the port. It was proposed to the army that after May 15 it make 2/3 of the port available to civilians and take 1/3 [for evacuation needs]. The port needs 500 additional Jewish workers, 150 for posts and telegraph, 50 for the airport, 300 for the railways, 150 for transport (drivers), 300 for the refineries. Abba [Khoushy] suggests conscripting labor brigades aged 25-35, including men with families. They would live in barracks like soldiers. Their wages would be paid into a common fund for the families. Security roads are needed. The work isn't progressing due to lack of workers, money, and the authority to cover them with force. A certified road manager needs to be appointed. In Cyprus there are 7,266 single men aged 18 and older, 3,980 single women of that age, 2,922 childless couples, 1,154 couples with one child, 399 couples with two children. They allowed the Kedma [a Zim vessel] to bring immigrants to Tel Aviv. As a rule, they don't let immigrants [debark in] Tel Aviv. I advised not to apply pressure about this in the coming days. The train from Acre to Lebanon has been stopped. Also the train from Haifa to Tsemah. All that remains is the Haifa-Qantara [train]. (After April 20 they'll hand the Rafah-Qantara line to Egypt.) It's as though the army is saying that it won't be using the railroad after May 15. They're preparing a Jewish terminal at Hadera-and from there by vehicle to Tel Aviv. Bar-Kochba [Meirovitz] demanded P£ 50,000 per month for the Tel Aviv port for three months, provided the Executive gives 15,000 per month. It was decided in favor. We heard that [Dr. J. L.] Magnes asked the army to remain in Jerusalem in order to defend Hadassah Hospital. Fierce opposition to this measure was expressed. At the next meeting we'll discuss manpower, a superintendent of food, [and] a superintendent of raw materials. - In the evening, Major [George Fielding] Eliot from New York visited me. We met about two years ago in Paris. He was favorably impressed [by his visit] to the Netanya camp and Tel Aviv. He is heading for Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, and Iran. He'll return to Tel Aviv on May 3.