The cherished word that peace had been consummated in the ranks of American Zionism had not yet been uttered at the 33rd annual convention of the Zionist Organization of America meeting here when this issue of the Bulletin went to press, but negotiations had reached such a status that it was considered likely that the peace would be consummated late tonight when the convention is expected to conclude its deliberations.
With the convention thrown out of its normal routine as a result of the withdrawal of the Brandeis-Mack Memorandum, the continuation of negotiations between representatives of the Brandeis-Mack group and of the present Zionist Administration, and the reading of a surprise message from Justice Louis D. Brandeis, the delegates are still marking time as they await the word of approval of the Brandeis-Mack leadership to a peace pact.
PROPOSALS TO BE SUBMITTED
The negotiations, however, have reached the stage where it is considered likely that the following proposals in substance will be submitted to the convention for its approval:
(1) The convention shall elect a committee of 18 members, nine of whom shall constitute an administrative committee and the other nine shall constitute a committee on political and economical affairs. Each of these committees shall organize itself and shall elect such officers as it shall determine. The committee on political and economic affairs shall render periodic reports on its activities to the administrative committee. The administrative committee and the committee on political and economical affairs shall be responsible to an executive committee to be elected by the convention.
(2) The convention shall elect a finance committee consisting of five members which shall be responsible to the administrative committee.
(3) The convention shall elect an executive committee consisting of forty members which shall hold at least five meetings during the year and which shall be vested with the authority of
the Zionist Organization of America in the interim between conventions.
(4) The convention shall elect a national council of 150 members.
MEMORANDUM DISCUSSION POSTPONED
Yesterday after waiting from ten o’clock in the morning until ten o’clock at night, the delegates were informed that the word that peace had been reached could not yet be uttered, and to give negotiators more time the agenda was changed and the discussion on the Brandeis-Mack Memorandum was postponed until the evening session. When Louis Lipsky appeared in the Convention Hall he received a prolonged ovation. After apologizing to the convention on behalf of the administrative committee, he explained that negotiations had been conducted all day with a view to bringing peace and harmony to American Zionism.
He informed the delegates that a committee had been appointed to draft changes in the Zionist constitution in order to meet the new conditions and that the effort being made to reach Justice Brandeis and Judge Mack to obtain final approval was causing the delay, but he added that this delay carried no foreboding, that there was no hitch, and that he was hopeful that all would end well.
SZOLD READS BRANDEIS’ MESSAGE
When Mr. Lipsky had finished, the convention adjourned for one hour after an address by Abraham Goldberg. At 10.30 Mr. Lipsky reopened the session and explained that although the individuals sought had not been reached, there was a message to the convention from Justice Brandeis which he asked Robert Szold, one of the Brandeis-Mack representatives, to read.
TEXT OF JUSTICE BRANDEIS’ LETTER
The text of the message to the convention from Justice Louis D. Brandeis is as follows:
“Chatham, Mass., June 28, 1930. “To the delegates of the Zionist Organization of America in convention assembled:
“I appreciate the generous suggestion which many of you have made that I should again assume the official responsibility of leadership in the Z.O.A. When eighteen years ago I first gave serious thought to the problems of Jewry and began to search for the means of preserving the spiritual legacies of Israel as an active force in the world, I became a Zionist and a follower of Herzl.
“My visit to Palestine in 1919 rendered more powerful the appeal; removed any lingering doubts as to the practicability of the undertaking; and convinced me that in carrying out the principles of the Balfour Declaration the welfare of both Jews and Arabs would be advanced. The events since deepened these convictions.
“Added years make it impossible for me to assume now the official responsibilities of leadership as I did prior to 1921, but I am ready now as then, to serve the cause. Necessarily the service to be rendered must be limited in scope to advising from time to time when requested on questions of major policy. Such service I am now rendering through Mr. Warburg to the Jewish Agency. Such service I can render to the Z.O.A. In my opinion it will be far more effective if rendered to an administration formed on the general lines of the memorandum of May 22, 1930.
“My warm greetings and best wishes.
“Louis D. Brandeis.”
CONVENTION RESUMES NORMAL BUSINESS
While still waiting for the word of approval of the Brandeis-Mack leadership to a peace pact, the Zionist convention resumed its normal complexion by reverting to those matters in the Zionist movement usually considered at the annual convention.
A repercussion of the statement made by Rabbi Stephen S. Wise last Saturday found its way into the convention this morning when Bernard G. Richards, executive secretary of the American Jewish Congress, who brought the greetings of his organization, explained that the Congress does not share the sentiments of its former president who was quoted as saying that the Zionist Organization of America “is morally bankrupt.”
Sol Lamport, treasurer of the Jewish National Fund, reported that the Fund in America had had a most prosperous year, with the income for the first nine months of the fiscal year being $363,551, an increase of more than 50% over the same period last year.
Harry Kahn, of the New York German Jewish National Fund Committee, submitted a resolution, which was unanimously adopted, calling upon the Jews in America to buy up the land beween the existing colonies in Palestine and to colonize that land, and to encourage American Jewish communities to buy land in their respective names in Palestine.
Mr. Lipsky announced that M. M. Ussishkin will arrive in the United States in the fall to accelerate Jewish National Fund activities in this country. He also announced that Mr. Ussishkin has received a cordial invitation from Felix M. Warburg, chairman of the Administrative committee of the Jewish Agency, to come here to interest the Jews of America in the purchase of land in Palestine.
SEND GREETINGS TO BRANDEIS
Immediately after the reading of Justice Brandeis’ statement, the following resolution introduced by Judge Lewis of Philadelphia and seconded by Judge Fisher of Chicago was unanimously adopted:
“The Zionists of America in convention assembled in Cleveland received with profound pleasure the moving message of Justice Louis D. Brandeis, giving assurance of his cooperation in the work of the Zionist Organization of America. We hail his message to our convention as the means of bringing about in our ranks that good will and faith needed to unite all forces in American Israel for the upbuilding of Eretz Israel. The delegates assembled send to Justice Brandeis warm greetings of affection and loyalty and assure him of their devoted efforts in behalf of the upbuilding of the Jewish National Home.”
WARBURG SHARES IN $850,000 ADVANCES FOR PALESTINE WORK
Criticism of the British government for appointing H. C. Luke, acting High Commissioner of Palestine during the riots of last August, as its representative before the Mandates Commission of the League of Nations was voiced by Morris Rothenberg, vice-president of the Zionist Organization of America, during yesterday’s morning session. Mr. Rothenberg, who is also one of the four national chairmen of the Allied Jewish Campaign, reported on the accomplishments of the Jewish Agency.
Referring to the $6,000,000 Allied Jewish Campaign, Mr. Rothenberg revealed that in addition to a personal contribution of $200,000 from Mr. and Mrs. Felix Warburg, Mr. Warburg has joined with Paul Baerwald of New York in advancing $150,000 for the work in Palestine and has joined with Oscar Wasserman, president of the Deutsche Bank of Germany, in advancing an additional sum of $500,000 in order to permit the reconstruction work in Palestine to proceed until the Allier Jewish Campaign gets further under way. In all, Mr. Warburg participated in advances amounting to $850,000.
Prior to Mr. Rothenberg’s address, Louis Lipsky paid tributes to the outstanding friends of the Zionist movement who died during the past year. He referred particularly to Lord Arthur James Balfour, and Louis Marshall, whom he characterized as “a great lover of Zion,” Louis Topkis, former treasurer of the Zionist Organization, and Judge Hugo Pam of Chicago.
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.
