Fascinating Backgrounding of Founding of JTA BY JOSEF FRAENKEL Special Jewish News London Correspondent A dispute has arisen concerning the date of the foundation of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. When was the JTA established—in 1917, 1918 or 1919? Who was the founder, or who were the founders? Here is the story of the JTA—how it was started and by whom. The first Jewish paper, "Gazeta de Amsterdam," was published in 1675. Today there are nearly 900 Jewish newspapers and periodicals in 79 countries all over the world. Jews have been founders or co- founders of international news agencies (Reuters, Agence Havas and others) but 240 years had to pass before an international Jewish press agency dealing with the dis- tribution of news of interest to the Jewish press was established. A certain Dr. Singer founded the f i r s t "Korrespondenz-bur- eau" in Strasbourg In 1830 to supply papers with information, articles, pictures, etc. Soon simi- lar "bureaux" or agencies were founded in various countries. Theodor Herzl established his weekly Die Welt (Vienna) in 1897. The paper had excellent Jewish news coverage thanks to reports from correspondents- in almost every country. Die Welt, as well as the Jewish Chronicle of London published the latest Jewish news. Editors would wait for the latest edition of their papers in order to get up-to-date Jewish material for their own papers. Soon there were more Zionist papers, and the Zion- ist Organization established a "Press Bureau" in order to pro- vide them with regular information on Palestine and news of Zionist events for publication. However, it was considered essential to create an independent news agency. At the seventh Zionist Congress (Basle, 1905), Dr. Sammy Grobe- mann urged the establishment of a "J e w i s h Correspondence" which would supply papers with news of Jewish interest for a small fee. The "Juedische Kor- respondenz" appeared in Ger- man and in English and served the Jewish and non-Jewish press until shortly after the outbreak of the First World War. countries of the Allied and Central Power s. In Stockholm, too, a "Juedische Arbeiter Korrespond- enz" (Jewish Workers' Correspond. ence) was published; in Lausanne a "Bulletin Juif"; in Zurich a "Mizrachi Korrespondenz-Bureau" and a "Juedische Pressezentrale," etc. The best organized news cover- age was probably that of the "Juedische Pressezentrale" in Zur- ich. All these agencies distributed, usually once a week, news or items of party interest, but they found it impossible to enlarge their press service. Their correspond- ents and contributors were few in number but the agencies' main task was to scan the world press for information of Jewish interest and to pass it on to the Jewish press. In November, 1916, the Ger- mans seized the mail of the Dutch steamer, "Koningen Re- gentis," which contained a letter of five pages from Jacob Landau to Vladimir Jabotinsky, dated Amsterdam, Nov. 9, 1916, and a copy of a letter from Max Nor- dau to Landau. The letters were forwarded to the German For- eign Office in Berlin, because of the "apparent hostile attitude of German Zionists, among them the well-known Max Nordau." I found these letters in the Ger- man archives in Bonn. Jacob Landau, in his letter, de- scribed his propaganda in Holland for Vladimir Jabotinsky's idea to create a Jewish Legion and he tried to publish information about it in the local Jewish papers. Zion- ists, born in Austria, but now in Holland, he wrote, were prepared to join the Jewish Legion. He asked Jabotinsky to send him a press card and wanted to come to London to help him. In 1915 Jabotinsky visited Copen- hagen but the Zionist Bureau de- nounced his Jewish Legion plan as dangerous, appealed to all Zionists not to violate the neutrality of the Zionist Organization and to oppose the Jewish Legion. Only one man assisted Jabotinsky — Meir Gross- man. He was editor — Grossman was always an editor — but he was dismissed from the "Yiddishe Folkszeitung" because he pub- During the First World War, the lished an interview with Jabotin- Zionist Organization moved its sky. In 1916 he became co-editor of headquarters from Berlin to a "Unsere Tribune" in London. In 1919 Grossman was in Lon- neutral country—to Denmark—and opened a "Zionist bureau" in don again, and in the offices of the Zionist Organization in Great Copenhagen, where "Mitteilungen" (Reports) was published under its Russell Street, Grossman dis- cussed with Landau the founda- auspices in t h r e e languages — English, French and German. In- tion of an independent news formation and News put out by agency to collect and supply "Mitteilungen" were reprinted by news of Jewish interest for Jew- Jewish and non-Jewish papers in ish and non.Jewish papers. That Displaced Persons' Sad Recollections From 1943 to 1961, when he re- tired, Rabbi George Vida held a U.S. army chaplaincy. He was edu- cated in Germany, visited Germany again after the war, holds a doc- torate from the University of Breslau, has held rabbinic poets in this country and is highly qualified to write as a former chaplain on experiences of displaced persons. From Doom to Dawn." his de- Germany, some of whom had scriptive work, published by Jona- fought in Israel but left the coun- than David (131 E. 23, NY10), is try. Many of the recorded exper- iences relate to the holocaust. The JOIN THE TEAM! One of the country's fastest growing chain of self-service department stores hos immedi- ate opening for: STORE MANAGERS DEPT. MANAGERS Here is a wonderful opportu- nity to join one of the finest organizations in retailing with o very liberal benefit program to boot ! Call or Write United Personnel 17800 Woodward Detroit, Mich. 48203 469-9400 news, important news, informa- 36 Pct. of Israel Is Arab; tion, accurate information from Includes Occupied Lands whatever party, Zionist or non- Zionist, Jewish or non-Jewish, should reach the desk of the editors, was the main aim of Grossman and Landau. They registered the "Jewish Corres- pondence Bureau News and Tele- graphic Agency Ltd." on Dec. 3, 1919, and it was approved a fortnight later. It would be ap- propriate, therefore, to accept Dec. 3, 1919 as the official date of its foundation. The agency's directors were Grossman and Landau and its shareholders included Joseph Cowen, former president of the Zionist Federation, Dr. D. Jochel-- man, one of the leaders of the Jewish Territorial Organization, M. Schalit, Isaac Naiditch, M. Edel- stein, N. Katznelson, J. Goldberg, James de Rothschild, V. Jabotinsky and Chaim Weizmann. On Oct. 25, 1923, the name of the agency was changed to "Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Ltd." (JTA). Correspondents were set to work in many countries and branch bureaus were established in Lon- don, New York, Warsaw, Paris and Jerusalem. Daily bulletins were is- sued in various languages. In Jer- usalem a bulletin was issued in Arabic. In February, 1928, Gross- man resigned. He died in 1964 and Landau in 1952. Today the Jewish Telegraphic Agency has news bureaus in Wash- ington, the United Nations (New York, Editor V. M. Bienstock), Jerusalem, London (European Edi- tor S. J. Goldsmith, Manager S. Matins), Tel Aviv, Johannesburg, Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo and Lima, as well as correspondents in vari- ous countries. A quick and efficient news agency is essential to a vigil- ant Jewish press and the JeNvish Telegraphic Agency has rendered, and still renders, great and ef- fective services in this field. The Jewish Telegraphic Agency is the guardian of Jewish information and the source of Jewish news. • • ■ a ■ It reader is treated to a new way of life, to a return marked by sad- ness, to a life replete with tensions that can not be erased. Dr. Vida has contributed an unusual tract to the growing Holo- caust library — provinding details about aspects not too often written ar spoken about. IF TON TIMM 11 W WI JERUSALEM (ZINS)Israeli gov- ernment statistician Prof. R. Bald, estimates that 36 per cent of the population in Israel and the terri- tories occupied by Israel, is Arab. 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