B’nai B’rith Girls Convention Hears Views on U.S. Liberties

The 10th annual seven-day convention of B’nai B’rith Girls opened here today with the participation of 150 teen-age girls from all parts of the country. The teen-age delegates will analyze the responsibilities of the adult Jewish community to Jewish youth, and the mission and functions of B’nai B’rith, with special emphasis on the role of the youth in this organization.

Addressing the opening session of the conference, Philip M. Klutznick, B’nai B’rith president, said that defeat of Communism must be achieved without weakening of any basic liberties of our democracy. He cited the part played by his organization in the fight against Communism for over two decades, and warned that efforts, deliberate or otherwise, to lessen the status of any of the amendments to the Constitution, including the Fifth Amendment, actually tend to undermine the structure of freedom set up by the Nation’s first leaders.

“Perhaps we are too far removed in time, and by our prosperity, from the depravities of George III and tyrants in other European countries,” Mr. Klutznick said, “Their impositions on the Founding Fathers of this country made the Founding Fathers understand the Bill of Rights and certainly the Fifth Amendment, ” Mr. Klutznick told the delegates. He also told the convention that, in addition to the great problem facing America in the paralysis of fear induced by the Communist threat to democracy, American Jews are deeply affected by the uncertainty over the future of Israel, and concern over the character of their own destiny.