Ben Gurion Pays First Official Visit to Weizmann; New Progressive Party Established

Premier David Ben Gurion yesterday paid his first official visit to President Weizmann at the latter’s residence in Rehovoth, it was announced here today. Their discussion is believed to have centered about the duties, responsibilities and privileges of the President in the Israeli government set-up.

The founding conference of the Progressive Party, formed by a coalition of the Aliyah Hadashah, the General Zionist Laborites and the General Zionist "A" Group, opened here yesterday. It was decided to give the Aliyah Hadashah wing 45 percent of the representation on all major bodies and committees of the new party, the Laborites 30 percent, and the "A" group 25 percent.

Dr. Abraham Granovsky, managing director of the Jewish National Fund, who was the first speaker at the parley, said the party favored liberal labor laws, social insurance, extension of free education and a program of upbuilding the country, including aid to private capital engaged in improving the national economy. Minister of Justice Felix Rosenblueth, another leader of the new party, called on the to remain neutral in the east-west conflict and said that the party supports Foreign Minister Moshe Shertok’s present policy at the U.N. General Assembly session.

It was reported here today from Moscow that the Rosh Hashanah holidays were marked as an official Israeli holiday with the national flag displayed over the Israeli legation in the Soviet capital. When Minister Golda Meirson and members of her staff attended the Great Synagogue in Moscow to pray during the holidays, the members of the congregation greeted them enthusiastically.

A Jewish girl, who was a former concentration camp prisoner, today recognized and denounced to the Tel Aviv police a woman who was a former official at the camp where she was held. She recognized the Nazi, who is listed as a wanted war criminal, on the streets of the Israeli capital.