Support for National Mobilization Day of Poor Shaken; Jlc Quits, Others Reconsider

Developments in connection with the National Solidarity Day march June 19 in support of the Poor People’s Campaign, including the withdrawal of Bayard Rustin. Negro civil rights leader, as its coordinator, have shaken the support given the campaign by Jewish organizations and led at least one agency to withdraw its backing, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency learned today. The executive body of a second agency was in session tonight seeking to determine its stand and a third has made its continued support conditional on receipt of satisfactory information on the revised goals and program of the mobilization.

A number of Jewish organizations and non-Jewish church and civil rights groups met in New York Monday at the offices of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People with Sterling Tucker, Mr. Rustin’s successor as national coordinator of the Washington demonstration, to discuss the implications of Mr. Rustin’s withdrawal. Later, the Jewish organizations met at the office of the National Community Relations Advisory Council to consider their stand in the light of assurances received from Mr. Tucker earlier in the day. Charles Silberman, chairman of the commission on religion and race, of the Synagogue Council of America, said Mr. Tucker had assured Jewish agencies that the organization and program of the mobilization would reflect the Southern Christian Leadership Conference’s commitment to non-violence and democratic processes as originally proclaimed in the mobilization call by Mr. Rustin.

JEWISH LABOR COMMITTEE QUITS, AJCOMMITTEE SETS CONDITIONS

The Jewish Labor Committee confirmed to the JTA today that it had withdrawn its support from the mobilization after Mr. Rustin stepped out as coordinator. An executive session of the National Council of Jewish Women tonight sought to formulate that organization’s position. The American Jewish Committee, following a special meeting Tuesday, sent a telegram to Mr. Tucker today advising him that the meeting of the Committee had “reaffirmed its support” of the June 19 mobilization “conditioned upon receipt and approval of your revised call for the mobilization, set of 99 points (demands made on the Government) and program of mobilization.” The telegram, signed by Morris B. Abram, president of the Committee, urged that these texts be transmitted as soon as possible.

The Synagogue Council of America, central coordinating agency for the six national rabbinic and congregational bodies of the three branches of Judaism, announced today that it had ‘reaffirmed” its support of the June 19 demonstration following the meeting with Mr. Tucker. It said it had received a telegram of thanks from Rev. Ralph D. Abernathy, president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, sponsors of the Poor People’s Campaign.

A spokesman for the American Jewish Congress said tonight that the Congress maintained its full support of the mobilization and was preparing to charter buses to carry members from New York to Washington to participate.

(In Washington, where the mobilization will have its greatest impact and where concern has been sharpest over the projected inclusion of extremist Negro and leftist elements, the Jewish Community Council was to meet in executive session tonight to consider the new developments. The Council had previously endorsed the mobilization and had been active in organizing food supplies and housing for the demonstrators.

(The State Department has assured the Embassy of Israel that it will be protected by Federal troops as well as police in event of “possible civil disturbances.” The same notice was given other embassies located in “areas of potential civil strife” in Washington.)

Concern developed among Jewish and other groups following the resignation of Mr. Rustin as national coordinator, and his warning that the tendency of the campaign “could lead to violence.” Mr. Tucker, his successor, was asked if he would exclude such extremists as Stokely Carmichael and H. Rap Brown from the program. He replied. “I haven’t even thought about it.”

In addition to fear that Black Power militants would dominate the march, reports circulated in Washington that “New Left” extremists and campus anarchists would participate. Jewish and other groups sought assurances that the march would not be transformed into either a Black Power forum or an anti-war protest. They wanted clarification of the aims of the march in light of their concern for the welfare of the poor people of the nation. Mr. Tucker said he expected that if the march did not generate enough “non-poor” support and “move America,” it would be “the last non-violent march America will see.”