Three Soviet authorities who sought to persuade 15 Congressmen, including key Republicans, of the advantages of increased U.S.-Soviet trade were told of the congressional concern about Soviet emigration policies towards Jews and other citizens.
This conversation occurred, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency was informed today, at a luncheon meeting at a club on Capitol Hill Monday. The luncheon had been requested by the Soviet Embassy and arranged by officials of the National Association of Manufacturers which had sponsored the big U.S.-Soviet trade conference here two weeks ago.
The head of the Soviet delegation to the conference, V.S. Alkhimov, Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade, was present along with K.G. Tretiakov, the Soviet Embassy’s commercial counselor, and E.V. Bugrov, Counsellor for Economic Affairs. An aide of Rep. Peter H.B. Frelinghuysen (R.NJ), chairman of the Republican Party’s Congressional Task Force on International Economic Policy, told the JTA that Frelinghuysen told the Russians “of the close connection between the most favored national treatment for the Soviet Union and the Soviet government’s emigration tax.”
“Mr. Alkhimov’s trip and the meetings he has had should have given him solid evidence that members of Congress are much concerned with Soviet emigration policies and that we (members of Congress) tend to link them with the granting of most favored nation status” Frelinghuysen was quoted as having told the Soviet trio.
Frelinghuysen is not a supporter of the Mills-Vanik proposal calling for Soviet withdrawal of emigration restrictions which has been sponsored by 260 representatives. It was learned that E.D. Kenna, NAM president, was the host at the lunch. Other NAM officials present included William Pollert, vice-president for international affairs, Eugene Hardy vice-president for governmental relations, and Nicholas Hollis, director of the international affairs staff. Among the Congressmen present was Gerald Ford (R.Mich), the House minority leader.
For its 93rd anniversary, ORT is having a street permanently named after it in Silver Springs, Md. “Ort Road” in the heart of the business district which borders on northwest Washington is to be dedicated March 22.
Israel’s Labor Party today appointed a five man commission to recommend a candidate for the Presidency to succeed Zalman Shazar.
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.
