Weizmann’s First Public Address Since Publication of Passfield Plan Greeted by Thousands

Crowds stormed the Pavillion Theatre here to greet the first public appearance of Chaim Weizmann since Lord Passfield’s publication of the White Paper on Palestine that caused the resignation of Weizmann and other Zionist leaders.

Nahum Sokolow, Zionist historian, presided at the meeting of protest against the White Paper policy. Zelig Prodezki, member of the World Zionist Executive, and Dr. Weizmann, retiring president of the Jewish Agency and the World Zionist Organization, were the chief speakers. Prolonged applause greeted the entry of the Zionist leaders upon the platform that was draped in Zionist colors.

HUNDREDS STORM DOORS

Many hundreds of people, unable to gain admission into the hall that held only four thousand, stormed the doors but were held back by a large police force. The meeting unanimously adopted a resolution to carry out the policy for creating a Jewish National Home in Palestine as expressed in the Palestine Mandate. The resolution expressed indignation at the virtual desertion of the historic undertaking by Great Britain. The meeting cheered the recent statements of the leaders of the Conservative and Liberal parties in favor of the Jews, and cheered the reading of a statement made by Harry Snell, chairman of the Labor Party, in which he repeated his declaration of sympathy for Jewish aspirations in Palestine.

“We’ve forgotten Pharoah and we’ll forget Passfield,” stated Chaim Weizmann, world Zionist leader, in the course of his speech here. “Passfield need not think that he alone can solve the Jewish problem. The Yeshub (Jewish settlement in Palestine) is firmly convinced that better times will come. New people will come forward who will judge differently our beneficial work in Palestine. Let us labor on undaunted.

BRITAIN NOTED HALF OF ADMONITION

“The Mandates Commission of the League of Nations told the British government ‘You’ve done nothing for the Jews and nothing for the Arabs,’ ” said Weizmann. And added, tellingly, “What the British government noticed was the latter half of this admonition. It is starting to build an Arab National Home. But the Mandate does not require Great Britain to build an Arab National Home on the back of the Jews.”

Answering the White Paper’s charge that Jews did not employ Arabs, Chaim Weizmann said, “If the Jews had employed Arabs the White Paper would have declared that the Jews are exploiters. Whatever they’d do they’d be wrong.”

He went on, “The Keren Kayemeth (Jewish National Fund) existed before the Balfour Declaration and it will exist after the White Paper is forgotten. The Kayemeth was never before criticized. On the contrary, government experts only four years ago declared that the Kayemeth was the most necessary instrument in the development of Palestine. Now the British Government has endorsed criticism against the Jewish National Fund.

“If the British government had told the Arabs that the Jews have a right in Palestine, serious troubles would have been avoided. But now that the British government tells the Arabs that the Jews are a potential danger to them, greatest responsibility lies with the government in the event of any breach of peace.”