U.p.a, Says J.D.C. Rejected Proposal for Reconstitution of U.J.A. Through Arbitration

The United Palestine Appeal today issued a statement assorting that the Joint Distribution Committee has rejected its proposal for reconstitution of the United Jewish Appeal through arbitration. The UPA statement reads as follows:

“On April 17, the United Palestine Appeal, responding to the expressed wish of many communities for the reconstitution of the United Jewish Appeal, offered to submit to unconditional arbitration with regard to the torms and provisions of an agreement reconstituting the United Jewish Appeal and with regard to all aspects of performance therounder, such arbitration to be administered by impartial persons whosen jointly by the J.D.C. and U.P.A. This proposal, containing no reservation, was rejected by the Joint Distribution Committee.

“The occasion for the proposal was a meeting in New York City held at the invitation of three prominent members of as many Jewish communities. They were Messrs. Fred Butzel, Detroit, Louis Caplan, Pittsburgh and Irwin Spiegel, Newark. They met at the Hotel Commodoro, on the afternoon of April 17, with representatives of the United Palestine Appeal, including Rabbi James G. Heller, Cincinnati, and Hessrs, Joel Gross, Newark, Harold Goldanberg, Minneapolis, Alex Lowenthal, Pittsburgh, Judge Morris Rothenborg, Rudolf G. Sonneborn and Herman L. Weisman, New York.

“The three community leaders asked whether the United Palestine Appeal would consider favorably the reconstitution of the United Jewish Appeal. The answer of the United Palestine Appeal was immediately and unequivocally in the affirmative. The United Palestine Appeal was then asked under what conditions it was prepared to see a reconstitution of the United Jewish Appeal. The reply of the United Palestine Appeal was that it was prepared to submit all questions pertaining to a United Jewish Appeal to unrestricted arbitration. Such arbitration would be applied to all aspects of the relationship involved in a United Jewish Appeal. The United Palestine Appeal was subsequently informed that the Joint Distribution Committee, with whom the three community leaders also met, was not prepared to agree to arbitration.

“In making this record public, the United Palestine Appeal calls attention to the fact that the latest attempt it made to bring about a United Jewish Appeal is in keeping with its consistent offorts since last December to bring in neutral and disinterested members of the American Jewish public in order to arbitrate all questions pertaining to the reconstitution of the United Jewish Appeal. The United Palestine Appeal respects the autonomous right of the Joint Distribution Committee to make such decisions as it chooses. But it believes it equally essential that the American Jewish community understand that the United Palestine Appeal permitted nothing to stand in the may of a reconstitution of the United Jewish Appeal, in accordance with the expressed wishes of the community.”