THE JEWISH NEWS
Page Sixteen
Friday, October 29, 1943
Jewish Committee Withdraws from Conference
Disagreement on Palestine
Cause of Drastic Action
.
Mrs. de Sola Pool, Judge Levinfhal and Magistrate Rothen-
berg Resign Because Committee Fans to Put
Question Before the Membership
NEW YORK (JPS)—By a vote of 52 to 13,• with some
members having abstained from voting, the executive of the
American Jewish Committee decided to withdraw from the
American Jewish Conference. This was followed by a breach
within the Committee's ranks with the resignation of three
prominent Zionist members.
The three Zionists are: Mrs.
- David de Sola, Pool, president of
Hadassah; Judge Louis E. Levin-
- thal, of Philadelphia, and Judge
Morris Rothenberg of New York,
former presidents of the Zionist
Organization of America, Mrs.
Pool was a member of the Am-
erican Jewish Committee execu-
tive. A statement explaining
their resignations was telegraph-
' ed by them to the American
Jewish Committee's corporate
members and members repre-
senting the Jewish communities
through the Jewish welfare
funds who were urged to follow
suit. The meeting at which these
developments took place w a s
held at the Waldorf Astoria Ho-
tel in New York City.
(Fred M. Butzel, the Detroit
member of the Executive Com-
mittee of the American Jewish
Committee, informed The Jew-
ish News upon his return to
the city on Tuesday from the
Committee's meeting that he
voted against withdrawal from
the Conference. Mr. Butzel
stated that the opponents of
t h e Jewish Commonwealth
idea made a good 'case for the
point raised that the minori-
ties were not represented at
the Conference, and expressed
the view that the objections
of those who favored with-
drawal from the Conference
were valid).
The "subordination (by the
American Jewish Conference) of
all other Jewish issues to the
problem of the political struc-
ture of Palestine" was given by
the American Jewish Commit-
tee's executive as the main rea-
son for withdraway from the
American Jewish Conference.
In their statement of resigna-
tion the three Zionist members
deplore "the undemocratic action
of the executive because it
threatens to disrupt American
Jewry at a time when unity is
vital in our efforts to save the
remnant of Jewry in Europe, to
safeguard Jewish rights every-
where and to assure the fulfill-
ment of Jewish aspirations in the
Jewish National Home." They
charge that "the membership of
the American Jewish Committee,
many of whom support the pro-
gram of the American Jewish
Conference, has been ignored by
the executive committee and has
had no opportunity to vote on
this question, although it is
scheduled to meet in less than
three months." The statement
reiterates that the American
Jewish Conference is "the one
instrument through which . . .
unity has been achieved."
Attack on Conference Elections
The American Jewish Com-
mittee's press release, distribut-
ed to reporters upon the adjourn-
ment of the all-day closed ses-
sion, contains passages from .a
draft under consideration by a
special committee. The reason a
complete statement has not been
issued is that the meeting recom-
mended to delete certain pass-
ages in the resolution as origin-
ally presented -v.rhich reflect on
the election machinery by which
the Conference was constituted.
Among those urging that these
passages be deleted were Frank
L. Weil, president of the Jewish
Welfare Board, and Dr. Louis
Finkelstein, .president of the
Jewish Theological Seminary.
Dr. Finkelstein issued a personal
statement in which he expressed
hope that the breach might yet
be healed.
The resolution, containing the
original statement, was present-
ed by Joseph M. Proskauer,
president of the American Jew-
ish Committee, and drawn up by
a special group consisting of
Chief Judge Irving Lehman, of
the Court of Appeals; Justice
Horace Stern, of the Pennsyl-
vania Supreme Court; Alan M.
Stroock, chairman of the admin-
istrative committee of the Am-
erican Jewish Committee; Fred
Lazarus, Jr., of Columbus, Ohio,
and Jesse Steinhart, of San
Francisco.
The Committee's Statement
The meeting aroused pro-
found interest and members of
the executive committee came
from distant cities to vote on the
issue of severance from the Con-
ference. Others who could not
attend the session sent wires ex-
pression their viewpoint.
The press release issued by the
American Jewish Committee's
executive states:
"The present demand for the
eventual establishment of a
Jewish Commonwealth in Pales-
tine, made by the American
Jewish Conference and constitu-
ting one of its major decisions,
as well as the subordination of
other Jewish issues to the prob-
lem of the political structure of
Palestine, are in such essential
disagreement with the funda-
mental views of the American
Jewish Committee that in the
best interest of Jews in this and
other countries, including Pales-
tine, the Committee feels impell-
ed to withdraw from the Ameri-
can Jewish Conference."
Will Oppose White Paper
The statement insists that the
Committee was ready to "co-
operate with the Conference and
those many vital Jewish insti-
tutions and movements in this
country—religious, cultural and
philanthropic—which help nour-
ish and enrich Jewish life in
America.
The statement says that the
Committee would continue to
seek the abrogation of the White
Paper to "utilize for the Jews of
Europe the broadest opportuni-
ties which Palestine can offer."
Conference Interim Committee
Adopts Plan of Action
NEW YORK, (JTA)—The Am-
Home Relief Society
Gives Ball Sunday
Dr. Slawson Named
Executive.Vice-Pres.
of Jewish Committee
erican Jewish Conference this
week announced that its Inter-
im Committee, at its first meet-
ing, approved various plans "for
the aggressive implementation"
Home Relief Society's annual
of the program adopted by the
assembly . of the Conference Fall event, to be held this Sun-
Dr. John Slawson, former ex-
which was held last month at day evening at Hotel Statler,
ecutive director of the Jewish
the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel here. will take the form of a ball and
Welfare Federation of Detroit,
Henry Monsky and Dr. Ste- a Bond rally.
was named executive vice-presi-
phen S. Wise were chosen co-
At the victory meeting held at dent of the American Jewish
chairmen of the Interim Com-
the home of Mrs. Sam Arkin, Committee, at its meeting in New
mittee, which is the body elected
4055 Glendale, on Monday, Mrs.
to carry on the work of the Con-
York on Sunday, Fred M. Butzel
Arthur Gould, chairman of the
ference until its next session. Ad-
event, gave a detailed report on announced here this week.
ditions to the co-chairmanship
final plans for that evening.
Dr. Morris Waldman, Dr. Slaw-
may be voted in the future. An
executive committee .of 17 to act
The chairman of tickets, Mrs. son's predecessor, becomes the
for the Interim Committee was Maurice Garelick, gave an en- "elder statesman" of the Com-
also eledted with Dr. Wise and couraging report on the sale of mittee and will serve as advisor
Mr. Monsky as co-chairmen of tickets for the affair. Mrs. B. J. to the administration. He has
Rudin, chairman of arrange- asked to be relieved of adminis-
the executive committee.
ments, announced that the Ivory trative duties.
Three commissions to carry
Room of Hotel Statler has been
out the three major decisions of
reserved for cards for those not be used to carry on the society's
the American Jewish Conference
wishing to dance, and that Dave emergency relief work and for
with respect to the rescue of
Diamond and his orchestra will the various war effort projects
Jews from Axis Europe, post-war
provide the music for the eve- of Home Relief Society.
Jewish reconstruction and Pal-
ning. Victory corsages will be
estine were created by the In-
For tickets or information, call
sold during the evening by
terim Committee. The personnel
Mrs.
Arthur Gould, TO. 8-6370;
daughters of officers of the or-
of the commissions will be de-
Mrs. Maurice Garelick, TO.
ganization.
cided upon at the next meeting
5-3048, or Mrs. Sam Arkin, HO.
Proceeds from the affair will 2213.
of the executive committee on
October 31. Provision was also 11 11=1.111111111111111.1 ■ 1111111MMIMINIIMIP,
made for the selection of an ex-
RE-ELECT .. . COUNCILMAN
ecutive director of the American
Jewish Conference.
GEORGE EDWARDS
Buy War Bonds!
7
Preferred Candidate, Detroit Citizen's League
Endorsed By Organized Labor
Are Jewish Americans
"Gangster Minorities?"
Jeffries Calls Those Who Voted Against Him In
The Primaries "Dangerous Gangster Minorities"
The ax of Mayor Jeffries' official condemnation has fallen upon the necks
of tvre groups of citizens, the working people and the Negroes.
Why?—Because they went to the polls in the recent primaries, along
with many thousands of others and voted overwhelmingly against Jeffries.
You, as citizens performed an American duty in the American w _ ay. You
exercised your right to cast a ballot for the candidate whom you believed
best qualified to serve you as Mayor during the next two crucial years.
If it is the working man and woman and the Negro who must • feel the
edge of the Jeffries ax today, upon whom will it fall tomorrow?
Tomorrow, will it be the Pole, the Italian, the Jew, the Catholic, the
Hungarian, the Rumanian, or any one of the many other minority groups
which make up the cosmopolitan population of Detroit?
As far as I know, this is the first time in Detroit's history that a large
section of the population has been labeled with the "gangster" mark by
its own mayor, simply because it wanted no more of him in the executive
office, and voted accordingly, as was its duty.
And remember this .. .
0:::: MR7MW
Of the 200,000 people who voted in the
primaries, two-thirds of them voted against Jeffries.
Are all of them members of "gangster minori-
ties" simply because they cast a ballot in accordance
with the dictates of their conscience?
this:
To people of all groups in Detroit,
I sak
Take solemn warning from this un-American
attack by Mayor Jeffries.
For if it is the working man and the Negro
who feels the Jeffries' ax today, tomorrow' it may
be YOU.
By Frank FitzGerald
"Detroit Needs a
City Mother"
HELEN C. BRYANT
for Common Council
Active in Child Welfare
and Public Health Work
University Graduate, Married,
2 Children
Preferred by Citizens League
Endorsed by Organized Labor
FITZCi ERA LI
MAYOR * **
PRESENT CIRCUIT COURT COMMISSIONER
ELECTION DAY, NOV. 2nd
I