Publishers Plan Expanded
News Service, Criticize
Excessive Publicity Costs

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Convention of English-Jewish Newspapers ih Washington
Observes Centennial of Press, Plans National
Institute, Acclaims President Truman

WASHINGTON, D. C.—A determined effort to extend
the facilities of the English-Jewish press in the presentation.
of Jewish news to American Jewry was made here when
the convention of the American Association of English-Jewish
Newspapers voted in favOr of the establishment of a new
service which should, with the cooperation 'of the Jewish

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Telegraphic Agency, provide fore
full countrywide coverage and curtail large-scale immigration.
the establishment of expanded
All sessions of the four day
news links between Israel and convention were held at the
the U. S. .
Willard HoteL The convention
' The Association, now num-
officially ended on Monday,
bering 31 member newspapers
when President Truman re- .
from coast to coast, condemned
ceived a delegation from the
"excessive" publicity programs
Association under the chair-
launched by national Jewish
manship of Mr. Slomovitz, at
organizations, declared that
his office in the White House.
such propaganda activities rep-
The association re-elected
resent an unnecessary waste of Slomovitz as president. Other of-
public funds and called for a ficers - were elected as follows:
survey of the situation in order
Dr. Alexander Brin, publisher
to remedy existing conditions. and editor of the Jewish Ad-
Under the chairmanship of Dr. vocate, Boston, J. M. Feldman,
Alexander Brin of the Jewish publisher, The Sentinel, Chicago,
Advocate of Boston, the Associa- and Albert Golomb, publisher,
tion is planning monthly and American Jewish Outlook, Pitts-
annual citations for papers ad- burgh, vice presidents; Eli
judged best edited and with best Jacobs, editor and publisher,
make-up. Plans are being made Jewish Review, Buffalo, N. Y.,
for scholarships for young people secretary; Leo H. Frisch, editor
aspiring to enter the Jewish and publisher, American Jewish
World, Minneapolis and St. Paul,
newspaper field.
`The convention approved a Minn., treasurer.
plan proposed by Yeshiva Uni-
Executive Committee
versity of New York for an an-
Members of the executive com-
nual Press Institute, details to be mittee in addition to the officers
perfected by a committee from are: Ben -Neustadt, publisher,
the University and the Associa- Ohio Jewish Chronicle, Colum-
tion.
bus, O.; Robert S. Gamzey, edi-
In a resolution acclaiming ; tor, Intermountain Jewish News,
the great role played by Presi-
Denver, Colo.; Irving G. Rhodes,
dent Truman in the re-estab- publisher, Wisconsin Jewish
lishment of the State of Israel, Chronicle, Milwaukee, Wis.; Jack
by the Hebrew University and Miller, publisher, Jewish Times,
the Association nominated the Baltimore, Md.; Samuel Neusner,
President for an honorary de- publisher, Jewish Ledger, Hart-
gree by the Hebrew University ford, Conn.; Samuel Gach, Cali-
and proposed that Mr. Truman fornia Jewish Voice, Los An-
be invited to go to Israel to geles; Jules Miller, Jewish Ex-
accept such an honor in Jeru- ponent, Philadelphia.
. salem.
Five additional publications
Philip Slomovitz, editor and were elected to membership: The
publisher of The Detroit Jewish Jewish Exponent, Philadelphia,
News, who presided at the ses- Pa., The Jewish Standard, Jersey
sions, led a seminar on circula- City, N. J., The Jewish Herald,
tion. Seminars on advertising Providence, R. I., California Jew-
' and editorial content were con- ish Voice, Los Angeles, and Jew-
" 'ducted by Dr. Brin, Jack Feld- ish Record, St. Louis, Mo.
- man and - Jack Fishbein of Chi-
The convention - paid tribute to
. cago, Leo Frisch of Minneapolis, the memory of a deceased mem-
-Sam Neusner of Hartford, Jules ber, Herman Burwasser of the
Miller of Philadelphia, Eli Jacobs Jewish Record of Atlantic City,
of Buffalo and other publishers, N. J. -
editors and guest speakers.
The following greeting was
Among the guest experts who despatched to the State of Israel:
The American Association of Eng-
participated in and addressed the
lish-Jewish Newspapers, in convention
• sessions were Jacob Landau, assembled in Washington. D. C.,
C. Feb.
18-21, sends warm greetings
the
_ president of JTA; Joshua Ep- State
of Israel, its newly chosen Con-
stein, New York advertising ex- stquent Assembly, its distinguished
President, Dr. Chaim Weizmann;
ecutive; Frank Schwartzman and Prime
Minister, David Ben-Gurion,
Mrs. Nathan Seidman of Inter- and their associates in the new Gov-
ernment
of Israel. The redemption of
Racial Press, New York; and Israel, which
marks the end of 2000
• Morris Appleman of JTA.
years of Jewish homeless and dis-
crimination, is a mark of historic jus-
Highlighting the convention tice. We rejoice in having had a share
the battle for freedom and we are
was the luncheon meeting on in
privileged to be able to serve as the
Sunday in observance of the link for an exchange of information
the State of Israel and Ameri-
-100th anniversary of the Eng- between
can Jewry. May the new era of peace
lish-Jewish press. Mr. Slomo-
and justice in Israel be perpetuated in
the best interests of amity among all
vitz, who presided, outlined peoples
in the world and as a symbol
the history of the Jewish press.
of lasting peace everywhere.
The
greeting that was pre-
• Reproductions of the entire
first issue of The Asmonean, the sented to President Truman
first English-Jewish weekly, reads:
The American Association of Eng-
published in New York in 1849, lisri-Jewish
Newspapers, in conven-
tion assembled in Washington, D. C.,
were on display. Speakers in-
February
18-21,
acclaims President
. eluded Robert Nathan, world Truman for his heroic
stand in sup-
famous economist; Congress- port of the reborn State of Israel, for
his civil rights program, and for his
men A. J. Sabalth and Sidney
determined effort to assure a fair
R. Yates of Illinois, Sol Bloom deal for the displaced persons in
Europe.
of New York and A. A. Ribi-
We are privileged that the head of
coff of Connecticut; Leo Frisch our Government played the major role
in the re-establishment of Statehood
- of Minneapolis; Dr. Brin, who for the dispossessed and homeless
of Europe and Africa.
read the numerous messages Jews
We propose that the President's his-
from Israeli and American toric role in the great events that have
in the past year should be
leaders, and Boris Smolar, edi- transpired
recorded in the annals of Jewish
- for of JTA.
history.
recommend President Truman
- Reps. Sabath and Bloom re- for We
an honorary degree by the Hebrew
viewed their experiences in Con- University in Jerusalem and we pro-
that'our President be invited by
gress, told of their efforts in be- pose
Israel. to go there to receive such an
: half of liberal legislation and honor from Israel's Hebrew Uni-
Zionism and rejoiced that Israel versity.
The following is the statement
is firmly established.
Mr. Nathan, analyzing the fin- castigating national organiza-
ancial needs in the Jewish State, tions for excessive spending on
e xpressed the hope that the UJA publicity:
The American Association of Eng-
$250,000,000 drive would succeed, lish-Jewish Newspapers, in conven-
assembled in Washington, D. C.,
and pointed out that $2,000,000,000 tion
February 18-21, views with alarm the
in investments will be needed to tendency in Jewish communities of
exaggerated programs of
assure the success of the effort to pursuing
public relations and publicity-seeking.
settle 250,000 Jews a year in
Our convention desires to call to the
Israel. Unless that is done, he attention of the Jewish communities
the refusal of national organizations to
said, it may become necessary to make public the expenditures of their

THE JEWISH NEWS-3 Eliahu Epstein, Israeli envoy to

Friday, February 25,11949

publicity and public relations depart-
ments. Out of 47 organizations ap-
proached for such facts only 10—those
wish minimal' expenditures—had seen
fit to present the requested facts. •
It is our conviction that funds pres-
ently used for publicity purposes are
excessive, that there is an extreme
amount of overlapping, that most of
the copy coming from national organ-
izations ultimately is consigned to the
waste baskets and that this; therefore,
is a situation calling for correction.
National organizations have gone to
extremes in soonsoring bulletins and
periodicals and in entering upon ex-
tensive publicity campaigns.
In nearly every instance of news
dissemination, the JTA and SAFS
carry the important news of Jewish
happenings. JTA and SAFS are fully
equipped to serve our communities,
and the additional expenses used for
individual organizational publicity
campaigns represent the excessive
amount of expense and energy at an
unnecessary public expense.
We especially deplore a situation
which finds one national organization
in a position of having incurred a
$164,000 deficit in publishing a month-
ly magazine—at the expense of funds
contributed by our communities—and
now nevertheless is even undertaking
the publicaiton of a weekly newspaper.
If the latter step materializes this or-
ganization will be abusing a public
trust placed in it in a civic-protective
sphere which its leaders are trying to
transform into a publicity field.
Vast sums of money are being spent
unnecessarily for publicity purposes.
Only the vanities of some leaders and
the public relations men are being
fulfilled, in the distribution of news
releases and mats which, in the main,
are being ignored and are not used.
It is imperative that, in the 'interest
of economy and our major causes for
which large sums are being raised,
that the American Jewish community
Should survey this situation seriously
with the ultiniate objective of putting
an end to wasteful practices. We call
upon our national leaders and or-
ganizations to examine this situation
with a view of remedying it.

The message of greeting from

the U. S., was published in last
week's issue of The Jewish News.
The following messages were re-
ceived from Abba Eban and
Arthur Lourie, Israeli represen-
tative at the United Nations and
Israel's Consul General in New
York:

It is a pleasure for me to greet the
American Association • of English-
Jewish Newspapers on the 100th an-
niversary of the English-Jewish press.
We shall never lose sight of the fact
that it was not low, ago when the only
voice uplifted for ' the Jewish case in
the American press was your voice,
which served as a link with Jewish
communities throughout America.
Were it not for the dedicated sup-
port that the American Jewish com-
munity gave to Israel's cause in its
darkest years, the course of events
might easily have led to frustration
and despair, at home in Israel and at
thg United Nations. Jewish public
offlnion played no small part in mould-
ing the goodwill and understanding of
the Christian world in this hemisphere.
And it was .your newspapers which
brought to - the -well-intentioned. the
tools of facts and logic by which their
work was strengthened. When some
would forget, you would not let them
forget.
Now that the State of Israelis
firmly established, the role of the
English-Jewish press becomes increas-
ingly important. Yours is the bridge
of information and inspiration between
Israel 'and the American Jewish com-
munity.
ABBA EBAN
a a
I gladly take this opportunity of the
centenary of your organization to ex-
tend greetings and best wishes %on be-
half of my Government to the Jewish
press of the United States.
The people of Israel owe a deep
debt of gratitude to the American
Jewish press for its intelligent and
devoted presentation to the Jews of
the United States of the issues center-
ing on the establishment of the Jew-
ish National Home, and ultimately of
the State of Israel . . . Through your
ability to focus the attention of public

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opinion and of your Government on
Jewish needs and the justice the
Jewish case. you have rendered a
major service in the struggle for Jew-
ish statehoccl:
In the darkest days of Israel's war
for independence. forced upon it by
five aggressive neighbors. the English-
Jewish press by its full reports re-
flected the vital concern of the great
Jewish community of this country in
the various phases of the fighting. But
not less important was the informa-
tion which you conveyed and your
editorial comment on the many-sided
creative efforts made by the young
state in working its way out of chaos
and destruction. In doing so, you
stimulated a warm and constructive
interest in Israel among wide sections
of the American people.
The State of Israel looks to the Eng-
lish-Jewish press to continue to in-
terpret the process of the rebirth of
the Jewish nation on its ancient soil
and to spread knowledge and enlight-
enment on our problems and aspira-
tions.
ARTHUR LOURIE

Progress Reported
In Meat Price Study

Progress in the Kosher meat
price investigation was announc-
ed by Robert Nathans, chairman
of the special committee set- up
by the Jewish Community Coun 7
cil for the purpose, after a meet-
ing with representatives of the
Kosher Butchers Association.
The Council's Committee in-
cludes . representatives of the
American Jewish Congress Wo-
men, Mizrachi Women, Detroit
Bnai Brith Women's Council,
Workmen's Circle and others.
Also present was David Flayer of
the Prosecutor's office. Meyer Sil-
verman, president of the East
Side Merchants Association,
served as arbitrator.

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