Gromyko Denial Shocks Soviet Jews' Backers NEW YORK (JTA) —Sup- porters of Soviet Jewry re- acted swiftly to the Gromyko letter released by Tass in Moscow repudiating any un- derstanding between the U.S. and the USSR on Soviet emi- gration• practices. Stanley H. Lowell, chairman of the Na- tional Conference on Soviet Jewry, expressed "shock and consternation" in a state- ment released in New York. Members of the Senate- House Conference Committee currently resolving differ- ences in their respective ver- sions of the Trade Reform Bill indicated that the Jack- son Amendment will remain in the legislation and that Moscow will have to comply with the terms of the under- standing on emigration or forego U.S. trade benefits. Under the legislation, Presi- dent Ford has 18 months to determine whether the Rus- sians are complying. Lowell stated: "We as- sume that Secretary Kissin- ger will pick up the 'hot line' between Washington and Moscow to obtain prompt clarification. First reports indicate that this (Gromyko's letter) is a total rejection of the entire basis upon which the Congress and the Ford Administration contemplated passage of the Trade Reform Act." He added that Kissinger had asserted that assurances of harassment would be end- ed, as • spelled out in the Kissinger-Jackson letters, by Gromyko in his meeting with Kissinger and Soviet Ambas- sador Anatoly F. Dobrynin at his meeting with Ford and Kissinger. Sen. Russell Long, chairman of the Senate-House Confer- ence Committee, brushed off the Gromyko letter. "I don't pay any attention to what the Russians say anyway," he told newsmen. He said the Tass announcement "doesn't affect me one way or the other." A similar reaction was giv- en by Sen. Abraham Ribi- coff (D.-Conn.) who with Sen. Henry M. Jackson (D.- Wash.) and Sen. Jacob K. Javits (R.-NY) played a key role in. negotiations with President Ford and Kissing- er on Soviet emigration prac- tices. "It's meaningless at the present time," Ribicoff said, meaning that the Gromyko repudiation will not affect U. S. expectations expressed in the Jackson Amendment. He recalled that Kissinger appeared before the Senate Finance Committee Dec. 3 "and at that time he indicat- ed that what was worked out was satisfactory to the So- viet Union." Jackson said he was not concerned over the Gromyko letter which he speculated was "probably in the face- saving category." But he said it was "important to see the contents of the letter and to get the full and true meaning of it." In Washington, Bnai Brith president David M. Blum- berg said that if Gromyko's letter "is not mere propa- ganda aimed at placating the Arabs on the eve of Commu- nist Party chief Leonid Brezh- nev's visit to Cairo, then the Soviets have bargained in bad faith and reneged on their assurances to Secretary of State Kissinger." More- over, Blumberg added, "they have undermined detente it- self." He said the trade bill had been passed on the assump- tion that 60,000 Soviet immi- grants would leave next year and "that figure was not pulled from the air. It was realistically based on assum- ing that the Soviets would end their policy of obstruc- tion and harassment of the applicants for visas to leave the country." But, Blumberg added, "if the Gromyko statement is Soviet policy and practice, then the So- viets maybe sure that the trade concessions will not be permitted by Congress." Referring to the Gromyko letter, State Department spokesman Robert Anderson SALE 20 to 40% OFF French Shriner Freeman Volare Verde Hush Puppies MR. ALAN'S MEN'S BOOTERY 10 Mile & Greenfield 559-7818 New Orleans Mall Mon., Thurs. & Fri. 9:30 to 8:30 Tues., Wed. & Sat. 9:30 to 5:30 said that Secretary of State Kissinger "stands by his let- ter of Oct. 18" to Sen. Jack- son outlining a U.S.-Soviet understanding on Russian emigration practices. Anderson reported that Kissinger met with Soviet Ambassador Anatoly F. Do- brynin and that the subject of the U.S. trade bill did come up. He said the meet- ing was held after the dis- closure of the Gromyko let- ter. Meanwhile, congressional leaders, ignoring the Gromy- ko denial of a linkage be- tween emigration and U.S. trade concessions, pushed ahead for quick enactment of the Ford Administration's Trade Bill with the Jack- son Amendment intact. The • House and Senate passed versions of the bill, each embodying such an easement, in exchange for such benefits as most fav- ored nation trading status. Members of a Senate-House Conference Committee re- solved minor differences in the two bills. The Senate ver- sion contains an amendment sponsored by Sen. Jackson and the House version con- tains the Mills-Vanik amend- ment, which link the two matters. Jackson said he would push for quick final approv- al of the bills by the Senate and House in time for Pres- ident Ford to sign the bill into law before the end of the current Congress, this month. In a telephone interview broadcast over Kol Israel, Jackson said he had assur- ances from Ford that, dur- ing the initial 18-month trial period of the projected trade pact, the President would not hesitate to halt most-favored- nation treatment for the So- viet Union if he felt the So- viets were not acting in good faith on the emigration 'com- mitment. (The Israel govemnment remained silent on the Grom- yko letter but political sources l'n Jerusalem referred news- men to Jackson's statement that the linkage agreement would be "tested in prac- tice," not in letters. (The "wait and see" theme also was sounded by Moshe Rivlin, the Jewish Agency director general, speaking on Israel Radio. He said he would not like to commit himself on any aspects of Soviet emigration policy, add- ing that "We will have to wait and see how things work out in reality." He also said that regardless of what the real meaning of the Gromyko repudiation letter might turn out to be, Israel should continue plans for large-scale immigration from the Soviet Union.) Jewish leaders meanwhile called for continued vigilance over Soviet emigration poli- cies. Dr. Judah J. Shapiro, president of the Labor Zion- ist Alliance, said "This new Soviet announcement reject- ing the terms of the Jackson Amendment is a repetition of what had been said directly to Dr. Kissinger at the end of October. While it is pos- sible to keep information from the public in the USSR, it ought not to be the way in which such matters are hon- ored in a democracy like the U.S." THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS 18—Friday, Dec. 27, 1974 * * ** * ** * * * * * * ARTEE NELSON GYPSIES INVITATIONS • ENTERTAINMENT • CARICATURES • BOB LARK, "FAST DRAW" • CLOWNS • BELLY DANCERS • LENNY DRAKE • AL SIMMS BAND By HATTIE SCHWARTZ SEYMOUR SCHWARTZ 356-8563 • AGENCY 356-8525 c°54 ceint"Pisces MIZRACHI TOURS 011.4/00.4 It's Nice To Deal With Joe Slatkin's DEXTER CHEVROLET 20811 W. 8 Mile between Southfield 1. 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African Students PARIS—Nearly 300 young 'men from Tunisia and Mor- occo registered for ORT classes at Montreuil/Paris and another 20 enrolled at Villiers-le-Bel as the 1974- 75 school year got under way according to the ORT France Director General. • Announcing- t h a t ORT France enrolled 1,319 new students for the new school year—an increase of 5 per- cent over last year—the di- rector pointed out that the new influx of North Afri- cans not only makes increas- ingly heavy demands on ORT for personal assistance, but these students also require special training facilities to raise their educational level. "One most important point has to do with the problem of residence and work per- mits," he continued. "There are strict rules in France re- garding such permits and they are difficult to get. For- eigners who have been ad- mitted to an ORT school, how9,ver, are eligible for both with little delay," the direc- tor said. . -4 4 a4 ' 114 Congressman-elect Jim Blanchard -4 4 -1 -4