That the Zionist organization of America is not yet prepared to accept the conditions of peace with the Brandeis-Mack group as laid down for them by a representative of this group, Jacob de Haas, in his articles in the “Day” of Monday and Tuesday, is revealed in replies to these articles by Jacob Fishman in Thursday’s “Jewish Morning Journal” and by S. Rosenfeld in Thursday’s “Day.”
Mr. Fishman says, “the essence of de Haas’s demands is clear: The Zionist Organization of America can only be ‘saved’ by a sort of dictatorship of unknown people who do not even wish to reveal themselves at present. First the present leadership must resign and leave a void. A special convention should be called, not through elections, as is the custom of Zionists everywhere, but through some sort of unknown method, and if the unknown people will suit the convention they will start the ‘saving.’
“Of course if the delegates to the convention will be against exiling to Siberia all the present leaders, that will be a sign that the machine is well oiled, and since de Haas and his friends hate a ‘machine’ like poison they will refuse to ‘save.’
“Now that is an interesting proposal. What will American Zionists say about it?”
Mr. Rosenfeld says: “I, and many others like me, believe that there will always be found people who will be ‘willing to assume the leadership.’ And because of that we want to know not only whether people can be found, but also who will be people who will be placed in the front? This matters very much. I can assure for instance that no one will want Lipsky’s resignation, if instead of him Mr. de Haas, for instance, should be placed in front. Thousands upon thousands of Zionists who have worked during the past decade with the present administration acknowledge the sins which the spokesman of the Brandeis group has ascribed to it. For there are plenty of judges, but no court has been held to issue a verdict. And without such a court it would be an act of irresponsibility to put to naught work done by people during ten years, while the judges themselves were perennially dissatisfied and perennially inactive. Besides, with whom will Mr. de Haas make peace if all his opponents commit hari-kari. Peace means compromises on both sides, not suicide on the part of one side.
“I believe, however, that the ‘peacemakers’ and ‘spokesmen,’ who speak in the second person, should all be thrust aside. Instead of that talk should begin in the first person. Let them speak for themselves. And then Lipsky will certainly ‘meet them more than half way.’
“But all these questions must and shall and can be settled only at a convention—if the other side will stop playing a hide-and-seek game, will stop speaking through ‘spokesmen,’ ‘peacemakers’ and such like.
“American Zionism should not change its leadership blindly. If a change is necessary, it should take place openly and people should know in advance who are those persons who are willing to come to the forefront. For this purpose a special convention is necessary immediately.”
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
