Presidential Elections Today; Last-minute Efforts for Jewish Votes Noted

Last-minute efforts to secure Jewish votes in to morrow’s Presidential elections were made here today on the part of both the Republican and the Democratic parties, as it became clear that numerous Jewish voters in New York–which has the largest Jewish population in the country–have still not decided whether to cast their votes for Vice President Richard M. Nixon, Republican candidate, or for John F. Kennedy, Democratic candidate.

Preceding these efforts were many charges and counter-charges with regard to the attitude of each of the candidates toward questions in which Jews are specially interested, including Israel. Both candidates came out during the election campaign with statements outlining their stands on civil rights, religious freedom, immigration and the Arab-Israel problem. Ecah of the candidates was backed by prominent Jewish leaders who were active in the election campaign either in the Democratic camp or in the Republican.

Invoked in the election campaign was also the issue that the State Department should not back the election of the United Arab Republic to a seat in the United Nations Security Council, since the UAR is violating the Security Council’s decision to permit free passage of all ships, including Israeli ships, through the Suez Canal. The issue was raised by former Senator Herbert H. Lehman, one of the leaders of the Democratic Party.

Four Republican Senators also urged Secretary of State Herter to "oppose the candidacy of the United Arab Republic to a seat in the Security Council" of the United Nations. A letter to the Secretary was sent yesterday, signed Jointly by Senators Jacob K, Javits and Kenneth Keating, both of New York; Clifford P. Case, New Jersey; and Hugh Scott, Pennsylvania.

Urging the State Department to take a stand against Nasser, they pointed out that "Nasser’s government has persisted in the Suez blockade and in boycotting Israel in violation of United Nations decisions, international conventions and the pledged word of the UAR itself." If the Department opposed the seating of Nasser on the Security Council, the Senators said, "we may be able to prevent the UAR from getting a position which implies power and prestige that it has no moral rights to receive, and which the world should not give it."