In a farewell address yesterday afternoon to the Laborite delegation at the Zionist Congress, Dr. Chaim Weizmann, who retired as president after 14 years of leadership, declared that he had been only temporarily removed, and added that he believed he would have an opportunity to meet again with the Labor party, which not only had been his staunchest supporter, but had abstained from voting for his successor, Nahum Sokolow.
At the conclusion of his farewell address to the Labor delegates and leaders, Dr. Chaim Arlosoroff, Joseph Sprinzak and Berl Kaznelson, Palestine labor leaders. As the delegation accompanied Dr. Weizmann into the Congress hall for the election of the new Zionist Executive, he and the men who had been his followers through thick and thin, burst into tears. Other delegates who witnessed the departing leader’s leave-taking could not hide their tears.
LAUDS LABORITES’ FIGHT
When the entire Labor delegation had gathered in its party rooms, Dr. Weizmann arrived to deliver his parting address. Pointing out that the occurrences of the Congress would shortly be considered as merely an episode, Dr. Weizmann said “the last hour before my departure, I wish to spend with those who fought for the pure and only Zionism, heroically opposing the dark forces of the Congress. It was worth the work of my entire life, just to see this fight and these fighters.”
On the one hand admitting that one might be disappointed with the Congress and on the other pointing out that the Zionism which he had seen during his last visit to the Jewish colonies in the Emek gave him courage, Dr. Weizmann declared “we, you and I, are merely temporarily pushed aside. I still believe that the Balfour Declaration was only a war gain and by its gravity it was bound to sink because the ground was not secured. You workers reinforced this ground and I also contributed my share for it.
“I believe that you and I are two creative forces in Zionism. We shall find each other without words, not only in the Emek but also at the Congress. I do not wish to part because I will continue the fight. I believe the Congress has now unloaded itself of the poisons which had accumulated in Zionism and that this will bring the Zionists back to their clear senses. We shall meet again shortly and then we will refer to these incidents as an episode.”
MUST WIN PEOPLE ANEW
At the conclusion of Dr. Weizmann’s address, Joseph Sprinzak, Dr. Arlosoroff and S. Kaplansky as well as other labor leaders, replied briefly. Sprinzak pointed out that it was necessary now to conduct a battle for winning the people anew. The present Congress, he declared, was war within the Zionist ranks. The steering committee, he added, is no more than a temporary stock exchange occupying itself with changing values, “while we workers occupy ourselves only with permanent values.” He concluded with an appeal to Dr. Weizmann to stand with the workers in the great fight, saying “thou hast many faults, but thy merits overweigh thy faults.”
Dr. Arlosoroff declared that the workers would not surrender their flag “which is also Weizmann’s flag, until the flag is torn out of their hands. We declare war and we want you, Dr. Weizmann, to stand with us in our ranks.”
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.
