The New York State Mayors Conference today cancelled plans to hold Its annual meeting at the Lake Placid Club following protests that the club discriminated against Jews.
Following the decision to hold the June 1 conclave at another site, the mayors held a special meeting at the Biltmore Hotel here today to consider the problem raised by the charges of anti-Jewish discrimination which led Gov. Harriman, Mayor Wagner and other officials to announce they would not attend the meeting at the club. Arnold Foster, general counsel of the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith, was invited to participate in the meeting today. A statement issued by the ADL said:
“The Mayors Conference invited the Anti-Defamation League to consult with it on the public policy involved In scheduling the convention at the Lake Placid Club. We made clear to the mayors our conviction that the Lake Placid Club Is a public resort hotel which uses the private club device In order to avoid the law prohibiting discrimination. The Like Placid Club admittedly bars Jews from membership and as Individual guests.
“The Mayors Conference recognizes the gratuitous insult to a large part of the citizens of the state of New York Implicit in the Lake Placid Club policy. When the mayors scheduled their convention they did not know of the discriminatory policy. Having learned the facts they now refuse to compound the insult by retaining the Lake Placid Club as their 1958 convention site. The Anti-Defamation League is delighted at the forthright action of these public officers.”
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