Actions Committee Curtails Congress Agenda to 7 Days; Lipsky Named to Committee

Shortly before the 17th Congress opened tonight in Mustermesse Hall, the Zionist Actions Committee, by a majority vote, sharply curtailed the agenda of the Congress and reduced the number of days during which the Congress will be in session from eleven to seven. As a result of this change the 17th Congress will be the first to conclude its deliberations in a week.

The sudden change was the result of a recommendation by Richard Lichtheim, leader of the German Revisionists, who, on behalf of the Revisionists, introduced a resolution asking the Actions Committee to cut the Congress’ program and make it more concentrated by curtailing the amount of time allotted to speeches and discussion.

AGENDA REVISED

As a result of the Actions Committee’s decision the revised agenda is now as follows: opening tonight with addresses by Nahum Sokolow, chairman of the Zionist Executive, and Dr. Arthur Ruppin, colonization expert. Wednesday, July 1, will be devoted to the speeches of Dr. Chaim Weizmann, Professor Selig Brodetsky and Felix Rosenblueth and others; Thursday and Friday, July 2 and 3, will be given over to the general debate; commission reports will take up most of Sunday and Monday, July 5 and 6; the adoption of resolutions, election of the new Executive, Actions Committee, Zionist members of the Jewish Agency and the closing of the Congress will be held on Tuesday, July 7.

Louis Lipsky, former president of the Zionist Organization of America, will be the American member on the new Actions Committee. Judge Julian W. Mack was elected as the American member of the presidium.

At the same session at which the Actions Committee voted to curtail the agenda, Professor Selig Brodetsky, a member of the Zionist Executive, outlined the present political situation, especially the relations with the Colonial Office. His address, an hour long, was behind closed doors.

Up to the very hour of the opening of the Congress considerable doubt and speculation was current here as to whether Dr. Chaim Weizmann would be present for the first session or whether he would not arrive until Wednesday, when he is due to render his report. It is feared that the spirit of the entire Congress will be affected if Dr. Weizmann is not present at the opening.

In the meantime conferences of the various party groups are still in progress, with the General Zionists or Centrists holding the center of attention because of their efforts to find a formula for a united front, endeavors which have thus far been unsuccessful. Considerable interest is also being manifested in Menachem Mendel Ussishkin, world president of the Jewish National Fund and one of the General Zionist delegates from Palestine, who has not yet committed himself publicly on the issues facing the Congress.

The first party to organize itself into a united and strong front is the Laborite delegation. After a short conference the Palestine Labor delegates, the Poale Zion and Hashomer Hazair, voted to merge into one disciplined group to vote unanimously at the Congress. They thus form a bloc of about 80 solid delegates representing all three Labor fractions.

The rumors that the Revisionists, official oppositionists to the Weizmann regime, would leave the Congress in case their demands met with no success, were denied today by Meer Grossman, vice-president of the World Union of Revisionists, after the first meeting of Revisionist delegates which was attended by over 50 delegates.

The meeting was addressed by Vladimir Jabotinsky, world leader of the Revisionists; Richard Lichtheim and Mr. Grossman, who read political reports, outlines of the present Revisionist tactics in connection with political Zionism and presented plans for the future. The parley concluded with the decision that the Revisionists are ready to take over the responsibility for the Zionist administration if they are given a chance to form a coalition Executive.