Citizens Committee Formed to Restore Peace in Zionist Ranks

A move to restore peace within the ranks of American Zionists is under way with the formation of a Committee on Peace and Reconstruction, which aims to bring about a reconciliation between the leaders of the Zionist opposition and the Zionist administration, so as to avoid a tumultuous convention and possible rupture in the movement.

While no official information was available, the Jewish Daily Bulletin learns that the committee, which is headed by Dr. Louis I. Harris, Commissioner of Health of the city of New York, Prof. Mordecai M. Kaplan, Israel Matz, Emanuel Neumann and others, is at work. Negotiations for an amicable solution of the problem of introducing new forms into the administration of the Zionist Organization of America are said to be in progress both with the administration and opposition leaders. A statement on the part of the Committee and its suggestion for a solution will be forthcoming in a few days, it was learned.

Both parties involved in the controversy claim that victory will be theirs if the question is brought to a vote at the Pittsburgh convention. Early returns on the election of delegates to the convention indicate that at least two-thirds of the men delegates and a considerable number of the Hadassah delegates would support the present administration. The opposition leaders are confident that they would enlist the sympathy of at least one-third of the men delegates and are convinced that the overwhelming vote of the Hadassah delegates would also be in their favor. These estimates, it was declared by neutral observers, cannot be considered absolute as the total number of delegates who will be entitled to vote at the Zionist convention is still to be determined, in view of recent rulings made by the Administrative Committee.

While these peace negotiations are under way, a new charge against the Zionist administration was made by Johan Smertenko of the Committee for Z.O.A. Reorganization, opposition spokesman and formerly active in the New York League of Zionist Revisionists. Mr. Smertenko in a statement issued on behalf of the Reorganization Committee charged the Zionist administration with an attempt to “pack” the forthcoming convention in Pittsburgh. As evidence of this attempt, Mr. Smertenko quoted a telegram sent out on May 31 over the signature of Louis Lipsky to Zionist districts reading as follows:

“Records district membership now being printed for convention report. Please forward all membership dues immediately. Also lists including those members who enrolled but not paid their dues. We will credit your district and charge your account with enrolled but unpaid members. Urge you increase membership.”

In his statement, Mr. Smertenko declared “The Committee interprets this proposal expressed in the words, ‘We will credit your district and charge your account with enrolled but unpaid members’ as nothing but an attempt to pad the membership roll in order to increase the number of delegates at the Convention. This is being done so that the Administration may have enough votes to carry out its effort to disfranchise the 104 Hadassah delegates.

“The formal restrictions for the elections of delegates to the Zionist Convention called for the election of all delegates ‘during the week beginning May 27th.” The advertised instructions show that the elections were to end Sunday, June 3rd. The telegram was clearly intended to influence the elections.

“The districts of the Z.O.A. are not legal entities; they have no assets; and the members cannot be held liable for their dues, etc. The regular published annual reports of previous years carry no charge accounts for membership. The statistics actually summarize the previously enrolled but unrenewed membership. Thus the report for 1927, page 13, states that the figure of 28,862 members then on the records ‘does not include 10,020 members who paid in 1926 but have not as yet renewed their membership at May 31st,’ and nowhere in the report is unpaid membership listed as an asset or account receivable, nor is there any charge account for such unpaid membership,” he stated.

When the Jewish Daily Bulletin submitted the statement for reply, the Zionist Organization of America declined to make any statement other than to make public a copy of a form letter to all Zionist Districts throughout the country, as the telegram was sent to all Zionist Districts throughout the country.

The form letter, dated June 3, three days after the telegram, made clear that only such members as have actually paid their dues are entitled to participate in the elections and that the number of delegates to be elected can be determined only on the basis of the number of paid members. The letter, signed by Louis Lipsky and addressed to all chairmen and secretaries of Zionist districts after quoting the telegram as reproduced above, declared:

“It is essential that we have the records complete for the report to the Convention. Therefore we urge the Districts to take immediate steps to comply with the request contained in the above telegram.

“It must be definitely understood that when electing delegates to the Convention only those members who have actually paid their dues to the District or to the national office for the year 1928 are eligible to vote, and the number of delegates to be elected must be based on the number of paid members. The unpaid members, whose names we have asked you to forward to the national office cannot be included in the total for the election of delegates.

“In order that your delegates may be seated at the Convention, it is essential that every District comply strictly with the above rules.”

Israel Maltin, auditor of the Zionist Organization of America, in commenting on the figures given by Mr. Smertenko, declared: “The statement that the Zionist Districts carry no charge account is untrue. The Zionist Organization owes at all times, to every district, the two dollars refundable to the district on every regular member and the five dollars due the district on account of every sustaining member. At certain times of the year the Zionist Organization owes the districts as much as $10,000. Last year, at the closing of the books the Zionist Organization owed to the districts $5,734. In 1926, at the end of the fiscal year, the Zionist Organization owed to the districts $3,350.87. To date, June 8th, the Zionist Organization holds in reserve for the districts approximately $5,000 due to them on account of membership refunds.”