r HE ;JEW•SH NEWS
Deellatist i
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Conference Rejects Proposal to Extend Its Scope of Activities
Retains Original Program
For Rescue, Zion Projects
Moves to Create Joint Body of Jewish Organizations for
Presentation of Jewish Claims to the Peace
Conference
By Special JTA Correspondent of The Jewish News
PITTSBURG.—The American Jewish Conference on Tuesday
rejected proposals to enlarge its scope of action to take in American
Jewish affairs, such as inclusion or supervision of activities of groups
like the JDC and civic-protective agencies.
' Resolutions adopted by the Conference included the following:
1. Provide for establishment of a joint working body to include
as many Jewish groups as possible for the presentation of a united
front on Jewish demands before the peace conference, the Con-
ference executive committee being authorized to designate repre-
sentatives to this body and to the international conference.
2. Demanded abrogation of White Paper and restoration of
Jewish rights to land purchases in Palestine.
3. Thanked the Vatican, Spain, Portugal and Sweden for
assisting persecuted Jews in Hungary and elsewhere.
4. Urged governments of liberated countries that they demand
that their Jewish nationals who are presently in German territory
as forced laborers be accorded the same treatment as non-Jewish
citizens in the same categories, and urged that the Red Cross
attempt to secure the repatriation of these forced laborers.
5. Urged American Jewish communities to increase their con-
tributions to rescue agencies.
6. Voiced appreciation to the War Refugee Board and asked
that its time be extended by act of Congress.
Dr, Silver Again
Raises Conference
To Great Heights
By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
Jewish News Correspondent at
the Conference
. PITTSBURGH, Pa.—American
Jewry's desire to retain a strong
and representative movement to
speak for the entire people
through a single organization
predominated at the second ses-
sion of the American Jewish
Conference which opened a
threle-day convention on Sunday.
Many delegates arrived for the
Important meetings with a feel-
• ing of skepticism. Some were
'doubtful whether the Conference
'tan . survive, particularly in view
of the prevailing desire that the
Conference should include with-
•. in its scope the internal Ameri-
can scene.
But in order to retain the de-
sired unity, it was apparent, at
the opening session of the con-
vention, that there would be
compromises on controversial
subjects and that the proponents
of the plan for the inclusion of
the American Jewish issues .
would not press the point.
Controversial Issues .
Unlike the first session of the
Conference, held in New York
ill September, .1943, . the . iirst
meeting of the second session
was not impressive: It was felt
by many that Henry Monsky,
who again delivered the open-
ing address, should not have in - .
jected controversial issues in his
address: and that Dr. Israel
Goldstein, president of the Zion-
ist Organization, "straddled" too
much. and at too great length.
But the Conference regained
its importance at the second
meeting on Sunday evening,
when three Important reports
were submitted—in behalf of the
commission on - post-war plan-
ning, the commission on rescue
and the commission on Palestine.
And as at the first session, in
1943, Dr. Abba Hillel Silver
again emerged the hero of the
Conference.
Louis Lipsky, acting on behalf
of the general. committee, offic-
ially opened the.convention and,
after a Hebrew address and pray-,
er by Rabbi A. M. Ashinsky of
Pittsburgh, gave an outline of
the Conference objectives.
Refiesentatives - Needed
Mr. Lipsky pointed to the im-
mediate need for • selecting a
Council of Jewish Representa-
tives to act in behalf of the 'Con-
ference and "for Jews of all
lands" at the Peace Conference.
He also emphasized the need of
implementing t h e resolutions
adopted by the Conference.
Edgar J. Kaufmann greeted
the Conference in the name of
the host city. Upon election of a
praesidium of 14, Dr. Stephen S.
Wise took over the- chairmanship
of the session, which was devot-
ed to the addresses of Mr. Mon-
sky and Dr. Goldstein.
Mr. Monsky gave a resume of
.
scope of the Conference but that
he is compelled to admit that
the Conference is honor bound
to "follow the precedent of a
year ago when the scope de-
fined by the Pittsburgh call, was
extended by unanimous consent
to include the rescue program."
Since such action can not be se-
cured, he declared that "we have
no right to force it by majority
vote."
Encouraging- Precedent
Dr. Goldstein urged the Con-
ference to send full-time repre-
sentatives to Washington and
London, to select a small execu-
tive committee to concentrate on
the Conference business and a
larger governing body to formu-
late policy. He declared:
"If this Conference can hold to-
gether until it completes its as-
signments, it will be an encour-
aging precedent, though not
without reservation for the pos-
sibility of the kind of organiza-
tion which the people are clam-
oring for. If this_Conference can-
not hold together effectively,
even with its limited objectives
and for a limited time, then what
reason is there to expect a better
result from an attempt at unity
on a wider scope and more per-
manent tenure.- Here is a chal-
lehge to keep this Conference
together effectively not only for
the sake of its own defined pur-
poses, which is reason enough,
but also for the sake of the long-
range hopes for American Jew-
ish unity."
J. George Fredman, reporting
for the credentials committee,
announced that 379 of last year's
delegates were present at this
session, in addition to 45 new
delegates a n d 48 alternates,
making a total of 472 delegates.
Adolph Rosenberg of Cincin-
nati, president of the Union of
American Hebrew Congrega-
tions, presided at Sunday eve-
ning's session at which Mr. Lip--
sky presented the rules for the
sessions.
In an impressive address, Rab-
bi Maurice N. Ersendrath, re-
the Conference activities, out-
lined the decisions taken in 1943
and spoke on the work of the
Interim Committee and the three
commissions.
Monsky Cites Examples
Mr. Monsky devoted the major
portion • of his address to a re-
jection of proposals for the in-
clusion of the American scene
on the Conference. He used the
UPA, JDC, NRS, HIAS and other
organizations as examples of
causes retaining their identity
and declared that the Confer-
ence can not take their place.
"We had better concentrate -on
our main purpose and on our
primary objectives," he stated.
"We must not be carried away
by slogans such as 'unity', 'de-
mocracy' and the like. They have
a popular appeal but statesman-
ship and balanced leadership re-
quire that unity and democracy
be not destroyed by the use of
such .slogans and by what well I
might be charged to be the abuse I
of the democratic processes."
Opposes Division in Ranks
Mr. Monsky declared that any
effort at This time to enter fields
of "established, well-recognized
and responsible long-term na-
tional Jewish organizations in
America is fraught with grave
dangers to the Conference and
would _threaten to destroy its
integrity and solidarity." He in-
sisted that the Conference has
a more .general task—to work for
rescue, post-war and Palestine.
His plea was against division
of Jewish ranks - and for standing
together so that "we shall sur-
vive as Jews."
Dr. Goldstein declared that he
is in favor of the viewpoint that j
all issues be included in the
porting for the post-war com-
mission, outlined the difficult
tasks ahead and told of the ac-
tivities of the year, which in-
cluded the following:
The issuing of the Internation-
al Bill of Rights which stressed
the right of the Jew to be a
Jew individually and collectively.
Restoration of Rights
The demand for the restora-
tion of the rights of European
Jewry.
The statement presented to
our government calling for the
punishment of those guilty of war
crimes and that Jews should
have their day in court and that
a representation of the Jewish
people be heard when the war
criminals are tried.
The representations made by
the commission to UNRRA and
the demand for return and re-
patriation of Jewish victims of
Nazism.
Speaking for the eomrnission
on rescue, Rabbi Irving Miller
charged that the callousness of
democratic governments was re-
sponsible for the failure to res-
cue many thousands who could
have been saved. He pointed to
the commission's efforts in many
fields and in its demands which
were helpful in various govern-
mental declarations.
Changes in Policy
He pointed to changes in pol-
icy in favor of facilitating rescue
work in the statements of Presi-
dent Roosevelt on the question
of the tragedy of Hungarian
Jewry and in the establishthent
.
of the refugee haven at Oswego.
N. Y. His report included state-
ments regarding the rally in
New York in protest against the
Hungarian persecutions and the
stimulation of the nationwide
observance of the anniversary of
the battle of the Warsaw ghetto.
Dr. Abba Hillel Silver's report.
on the work of the Palestine corn,.
mission so electrified the Confer-.
ence, whose delegates he held
spellbound, that the session was
adjourned, upon the singing of
Hatikvah at the conclusion of his
address, in order to retain the
exalted spirit created by the
brilliant address.
Speaking at length on Pales-
tine and Zionism and praising
- the achievements of the Jewish
pioneers. Referring to the Pales-
tine Resolution of the 1943 ses-
sion and the controversy it
caused, resulting in the with-
drawal from the Conference of
the American Jewish Committee,
Dr. Silver declared that "the
verdict and judgment of this
Conference in respect to Pales-
tine . . . stand 'confirmed," in
view of the happenings of the
past 12 months.
Dr. Silver gave a detailed re-•
port of the work of the commis-
sion, of the events which led to
the adoption of the Palestine
Resolution by the House Foreign
Affairs Committee last week and
the work yet to be done to secure
full justice for the Jewish cause.
"We haven't yet scored a vic-
tory, but have done a pretty
(Continued on Page 29)
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