Friday, October 5, 1945 THE JEWISH NEWS Truman Denies FDR Made Zion Pledge to Ibn-Saud Sen. Brewster Charges President With Following 'British Line'; Ibn Saud Admits Jews Had Improved Palestine But Threatens Violence if More Immigrate • WASHINGTON (JPS)—President Truman, replying to a ques- tion at a press conference here, gave the lie to assertions by Arab League Secretary Abdul Rahman Azzam Bey, that the late President Roosevelt gave his pledge to Ibn Saud that he would support Arab demands regarding Palestine. • Asked whether President Roosevelt had given such a pledge, * *'President Truman flatly replied, "no," adding that he had looked carefully through the records of the conferences between the late President and Ibn Saud and there is .nothing contained there to in- • dicate that Roosevelt had made such commitment. (Ann Cottrell, New York Herald Tribune Washington corres- pondent, reports that government officials confirmed that Mr. Roose- velt held several off-the-record conversations with Ibn Saud, and that they spoke. in French without an interpreter. Constantine Browh, Washington Star columnist, maintains that Roosevelt made such a pledge and that "minutes of the conversation are being kept a top secret in the files of the state Department.") . Charges Truman Follows British Line Truman admitted that he is not in favor of an outright Jewish State in Palestine at an informal White House Meeting with Senators Brewster of Maine and Magnuson of Washington and former Senator Gillette, Drew Pearson, Washington columnist, reports. Senator Brewster engaged in a bitter argument with the Presi- dent and told him: "You are following the British line Roosevelt fell for. The British who arranged for Roosevelt to see Ibn Saud who swore there would be bloodshed if Palestine was given to the Jews. Meanwhile, the British were giving Ibn Saud rifles with which he could stir up bloodshed." Ibn Saud Admits Jews Improved Palestine NEW YORK (JPS)—King Ibn Saud of Saudi Arabia, admitted that Jewish settlers in Palestine "have done much to improve the country agriculturally," but "has sworn to take violent action against Jews and any other members of the United Nations supporting them" should large-scale Jewish immigration to Palestine be per- mitted, an unidentified U. S. official reported here, according to an Associated Press dispatch. The informant said Ibn Saud disclaimed that he was anti-Jew- ish and promised no trouble between Jews and Arabs if the status of Palestine remains unchanged. Rep, Wickersham Urges Return of Displaced Jews / Head of U. S. Delegation to Palestine Asks 'Less Agitation' on Issue WASHINGTON (JTA) — Rep. Victor Wickersham of Oklahoma, who has just returned from a visit to Palestine as the head of an 11-man Congressional delega- tion, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that he would recom- mend to the House of Represent- ati-ves the ieturn to their former homes of such Jews as could be returned from the displaced per- sons camps in Europe. For those who cannot be re- turned to their homes, Rep. Wick- ersham will urge immigration to the U. • S. and other countries which are members of the United Nations. Only as a last alterna- tive will he propose the sending of such Jews to Palestine, which he believes should be placed under an international trustee- ship. "My group," he said, "feels that Palestine should be an in- ternational religious center avail- able to all religions. I don't think Jews should be sent without the full approval of the people in Palestine, Arabs and Jews." Urging "less agitation" on the Palestine issue in the U. S., Rep. Wickersham said: "It is not the Jews of the U. S. who want to go to Palestine. If the Jews of the U. S. did not subsidize those who want to proceed to Pales- tine, they would be returning to their countries, whence they came. 'If more Jews are sent, I fear there will be trouble with the, Arabs." Asked if he favored removing immigration restrictions in the U. S. in order to accommodate displaced Jews now in Germany, Wickersham said: "Yes, . if the other United Nations will take their proportion." . * 20 Pct. of 140,000 Jews Survived in Netherlands AMSTERDAM, (JTA) — Twenty-five thousand Dutch Jews already have registered with the Jewish Registration Office here, and information concerning an- other 8,000 is expected to be ob- tained shortly. Latest figures in- dicate that 107,000 Jews are sent to death camps by the Nazis, -and only about 20 per cent of the Netherland's pre war Jewish pop- ulation of 140,00 have survived. - Page- Three Weekly Review of the News of the World (Compiled From Cables. of Independent Jewish Press Service) AMERICA Assailing the rumored decision of the British Labor Government to continue the White Paper restrictions in Palestine, Louis Lipsky, de- clared that "it is amazing that the first item on the program of the new Labor Government in England -- should involve the betrayal of British promises, against which betrayal the Labor Party itself took so courageous a stand before election." William B. Herlands, former Commissioner .dr Investigation in the LaGuardia administra- tion, has assumed active direction of New York City's 1945 campaign for the American Fund for Palestinian Institutions; central fund- raising body in this country for 69 educational, cultural and social welfare.' institutions in Palestine, whose annual operating budgets total $1,700,000, toward which the American Fund's contra for next year is set at $550,000, of which the New York share is $350,000. An investigation and possible • ousting of Dr. George N. Shuster, president of Hunter College, for alleged pro-Nazi sympathies, was- urged on the Board of Higher Education, of New York, by the Regional Actions Coinmittees of Pro- testant magazine. Dr. Shuster recently went to Germany as a member of a delegation from the War Department to interrogate Nazi leaders on social, political and economic aspects of Ger- many under the Hitler regime. The building of a national synagogue in Washington was proposed by Congressman Sol Bloom of New York in a speech during the Yom Kippur services at the Adas Israel Con- gregation in Washington. The Citizens' Protective League of New York, an alleged Nazi •front organization, filed suit in District Court to prevent deportation to Q-ermany of 140 other German nationals and known Nazi sympathizers. Only about 100 Jewish doctors out of the pre-war total of 3,700 are now living in Poland, according to a cable report which the New York office of the American OSE Committee, organization for child care, health, and hygiene has just received from TOZ, its affiliate in Poland. OVERSEAS .A unit of the Jewish Brigade stationed in Holland has taken over guard at Walcheren Island where Nazi PWs are interned. Nine thousand "semi-homeleSs and un- wanted" Jews now in Berlin, who a short time ago suffered because they are Jews, are now suffering the fate of being treated as conquered Germans, the Rev. I. Levy, S.C.F., reports in an article from Berlin. A special delegation from the Amsterdam diamond bourse will soon visit England, Am- erica and Palestine to persuade Jewish refugees there, who were formerly connected with Holland's diamond industry, to return to the Netherlands to resume their trade. Of 20,000 surviving Dutch Jews, half were concentration camp inmates and the rest were in hiding for years. In addition, there are now in Holland, 5000 Jews, so-called "strangers" from eastern and central Europe. General Dwight D. Eisenhower, in an order to the personnel of displaced perso,ns camps in the American zone of occupation, called for "top priority on all facilities necessary for the psychological as well as physical requirements of stateless and displaced persons," and said that the German population must be made responsible for the care of these people . British military police are investigating com- plaints, from Jewish witnesses at the Belsen War Crimes trial, that Poles in the camp had threatened them with death if they testified on Polish assistance to the Nazis in anti-Jewish atrocities at the camp. Uneasiness and tension is mounting among soldiers of the Jewish Brigade, now billeted throughout Holland and Belgium as their job of occupation here nears its end. They do not know whether they will be kept in Belgium, when Allied forces are withdrawn from the Netherlands, or moved into Germany as part of the occupation forces, or returned to the Middle East. The uncertainty is causing much concern among our soldiers and poses a knotty growing psychological problem which is steadily. (See also Page 18) The Community War Chest Needs Your Help Now The end of the war hasn't stopped the need for a Community War Chest. On the contrary, postwar problems will add to the weight of the burdens that only agencies supported by the War Chest can lighten. That's why you are asked to give gener- ously of your dollars when a wearer of the Red Feather asks for your help. For needs in the community In addition to other needs, funds are re- quired for many services rendered in the community. Fighting juvenile de- linquency, family services, hospital and clinical aid are just a few of many. ••• For food for starving allies Starvation threatens the lives of many thousands in Europe, for crops couldn't be planted in the Spring. Through the generosity of the American people, many people will be given a chance to ltve. For clothing In many European countries where there has been no great production of civilian clothing for years, the need is acute. Money given . to the Community( War Chest will help to provide greater supplies of clothing. Give Generously To The War Chest The J. L. Hudson Company , .