The Administrative Committee of the Zionist Organisation of America held a special meeting to-day to consider the new Government letter, and after long discussion a committee was appointed to draw up a resolution in conjunction with the American Committee of the Jewish Agency.
The speakers were divided in their opinions. Mr. Ussischkin, the head of the Jewish National Fund, who is now in America, was dissatisfied with the statement, and Mr. Jacob de Haas and Mr. Ab. Tulin were decidedly against accepting the Government letter as a basis of co-operation with the Mandatory Government. On the other hand, Mr. Berl Locker, one of the Poale Zionist leaders, Rabbi Mayer Berlin, the leader of the Mizrachi, Mr. Louis Lipsky, former President of the Zionist Organisation of America, Mr. Morris Rothenberg, the head of the American Keren Hayesod, and Mr. Ab. Goldberg declared that they regard it as a significant victory for the present.
Other speakers at the meeting criticised Dr. Weizmann, contending that he had no right to express an opinion on the new Government letter, and insisting that he should have told Mr. Mac-Donald that the Zionist Congress is the only body capable of passing judgment on the new statement.
“JEWISH MORNING JOURNAL” SAYS NEW STATEMENT COMPLETELY WIPES OUT WHITE PAPER: HOPES SECOND PART OF NEGOTIATIONS WILL BE AS SUCCESSFUL AS FIRST: “DAY” HAS IMPRESSION BOTH MR. MACDONALD AND DR. WEIZMANN TELLING JEWISH WORLD – WE CAN’T SAY MUCH BUT IF YOU REALLY WISH TO HAVE JEWISH HOME LEAVE PROTESTS AND PASS TO DEEDS: NO BARS TO BE CLAMPED DOWN ON JEWISH SETTLEMENT AND IMMIGRATION SAYS NEW YORK “TIMES” : LORD PASSFIELD LOOKS ON OBSTACLES AS ARGUMENT FOR SLOWING DOWN IT SAYS WHILE MR. MACDONALD WOULD CLEAR OBSTACLES AWAY
The new Government letter completely wipes out the White Paper, Mr. Jacop Fishman, the editor of the “Jewish Morning Journal of New York, writes in an editorial, going on to express the hope that the second part of the negotiations between the Jewish Agency and the Government will be as successful as the first, in which case, he says, the Jews will have little ground for complaint.
In its Sunday issue, the Yiddish daily, the “Day”, declares that in immigration, land purchase and other questions important concessions have been given to the Jews, and the Government letter indicates the goodwill of the British Government. The impression is obtained, it says, that both Mr. MacDonald and Dr. Weizmann are saying to the Jewish world: Our tongues are tied. We are unable to say much. But if you really wish to have the Jewish Home leave protests and pass to deeds – go and build.
In the general press, the “New York Herald-Tribune” Sunday issue terms the new British Government letter a sharp change in the tone of British policy in respect to the Jewish National Home. It will not, of course, satisfy all Zionists, nor the Arab leaders, it admits, but in Dr. Weizmann’s words, the basis for co-operation has been restored.
Under the heading “Palestine Clarified” the Monday issue of the “New York Times” publishes an editorial in which it says that the basic principles of the Jewish National enterprises in Palestine have now been re-asserted. Mr. MacDonald’s commentary upon the double obligation of the Mandatory Power, that it is an obligation to the Jews as well as to the Arabs, it argues, reaffirms that there is to be no crystallisation of the Palestine experiment at its present stage. There are not to be any bars clamped down on Jewish land settlement and Jewish immigration into Palestine. Generally it may be said, the “New York Times” concludes, that while Lord Passfield looks upon the obstacles that exist as an argument for slowing down the Jewish experiment in Palestine, Mr. Ramsay MacDonald would rather set to work to clear away the obstacles.
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.
