Haifa Arrival

T.R.S…
Ship arrived in Haifa (Israel) harbour at dawn Thursday, March 13, but harbour restrictions prevented passengers going ashore until 9.30am. On dock found a fleet of autos to take us on excursions.

Drove immediately to the top of Mt. Carmel to look down on the well-designed and beautiful new city of Haifa, the chief port and trade centre of the new Israeli republic. The stoical Jewish inhabitants here have done a marvellous job of rehabilitation and construction - and much of the time in the face of direct gunfire.

Old Arab structures of stone and mortar, blasted into rubble and ruins, still lie there in mute evidence of the fierce fighting required to force the Arabs to withdraw from Israel. Fine new streets, parks and buildings adorn the city now. Homes, hospitals and schools have been erected by the thousands.

Store fronts are up to date with attractive window displays, but merchandise stocks are meager, and food and textile stocks are point-rationed because of scarcity. Inflation is rampant. The currency exchange unit of one pound, normally worth about $1.40, can be black-marketed at as low as 35c each.

Money Talks

T.R.S…
Stopped and visited with an official of the National Bank of Israel, first banker I have sought out on this trip. Did not go for a loan, either, but only for information. He was a man of hard eye and cold hand. Declined to tell me the size of his bank, but said is was several times the size of our Metropolitan.

No, he could not let me have a printed financial statement. Sorry, but their clearing house was not formed till last December and figures were not accurate. Yes, his bank owned some Israeli government bonds, but not too many. Yes, Haifa needs new industries for payrolls, and millions of new venture capital for investment and development.

No, foreign investors cannot take profits from the country. Nothing came voluntarily from him except that the home office of bank is in Tel-Aviv and has 36 branches. So tipped my Scotch cap to him and left him sipping his tea - then went out on the street and got my dope from a nice, congenial policeman.

Shopped for a couple of warm undershirts, but the cupboard was bare - not an undergarment of any kind to be had in Haifa.

Powder Keg of Immigration

T.R.S…
The Israeli government builds the housing required to accommodate heavy immigration - as high as 40,000 per month - right now about 2,000 per month. A ship docked today with 1,600 refugees aboard from Romania. Stood by at the wharf, watching the newcomers go ashore, welcomed by resident friends and relatives in near riot effusiveness. There were screams and tears and many very touching scenes, with laughter and gibberish.

How anybody can come to live in Israel with any real sense of security is beyond me. In the environs of Haifa, 400,000 Hebrews are completely surrounded by 4,000,000 hostile Arabs and Egyptians with only a cease-fire agreement between them.

The enemy refuses to sign a permanent peace treaty and even threatens to extinguish the Jews in due course of time. Russian Communists are said to be working undercover too, soliciting Soviet memberships from door to door.

It is like sitting on a powder keg, but the Jews are firm in their belief that they can defend themselves and their new country against all aggressors and are working like Trojans to strengthen their position. They have plenty of room for expansion here, with not a chance of over-population for years to come.

Given time and peace, Haifa may easily develop into another Miami Beach, as it is well on its way right now.

A Near Collision!

T.R.S…
On the second day of our stop at Haifa, as we were going ashore, a strong wind sprang up and the Caronia broke loose from her stern moorings. Immediately her whistle bellowed a blast for tugs, as her rear end swung into what looked like a sure collision with an anchored freighter.

While the tugs came flying, we could see the ship move forward with propellers churning, as more anchor chain was played out from her bow. With combined forward movement and tug aid she managed to miss her sister ship by inches. Later, when we returned from our excursion, we found she had left her berth inside the breakwater and now lay safely anchored in the open sea beyond. Smart sailors, these British.
See also crewman Fred Barnes’ account of this drama.

Produce is farmed and marketed collectively, proceeds divided and buying done cooperatively. Crop outlook right now is very good. Wheat crop is heavy and is heading out. Grapevines are laden. Meadows look rank. Some fields are infested badly with wild mustard. Cattle are scarce, but sheep and goats are plentiful.

Hogs (pigs) are unknown, being unclean to Jews as food animals. Milk is scarce, but all children receive a ration of two litres per day. There are many large plots of garden vegetables and groves of olive and fruit trees. The honey industry must be a big one - clusters of blue-painted hives are found all along the road.

Tractors and modern farm tools can be seen at every collective centre. Water is a big problem, and irrigation is difficult in such hilly country, which is now lush with spring vegetation and would support whole herds of cattle, but none is there.

In the convent hallway, a box lunch was served by the Caronia kitchen crew, and a considerable surplus of food was given the good sisters in token of their kind hospitality. Returning to Haifa, we crossed the River Jordan where several ladies got out and filled bottles with water for home baptismal purposes.

Back to the ship through miles of fruitful valley and green pastures, and after a hot bath and a hasty meal, we “hit the sack” early. The ship rode at anchor off Haifa all through the night of Friday, March 14, departing early Saturday on the 24-hour run to the island of Rhodes which is now held by the Greeks.