THE CASE OF MR. SYLVESTER -
StR,—With regard to your editorial The Case of Mr.' Sylvester, published in your issue of October 15th, may I be permitted to point out the following facts: The Defence Regulations (1939/45) enacted by the late Mandatory Government, which were still in power on the 15th May, 1948, and which were not abolished in Jerusalem till a few days ago, decree that no public ner private body may, hold a transmitter and use it for broadcasting purposes, except with written authority by the Military Commander. Under these regulations, Yehudith Cohen, who was found guilty of illegal broadcasting by a Military Court in 1945, was sentenced to seven years' imprisonment! But may I be permitted to shed some light on Mr. Sylvester's wireless transmissions? It is true, admitted by the accused himself, that he kept in touch with some Englishmen by means of his radio transmitter. As those Englishmen were at that time residing outside \Israeli controlled areas, the transmissions were, in effect, to enemy territory in time of war. Mr. Sylvester pleaded that his actions were committed in " good faith," but may I ask what penalty an Englishman would have incurred if he had got in touch, by wireless transmitter, with another group of Englishmen, residing in enemy territory? I am confident that he would have incurred the death
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