Congressman Robert B. Chiperfield, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, is among the first 25 Congressional candidates to sign a declaration against the sending of American arms to the Arab states, it was learned here today.
The declaration, which opposes arms grants until the Arab states “declare their readiness to join” in the defense of the free world and to agree to negotiate a peace settlement with Israel, is being circulated by the American Zionist Committee for Public Affairs.
Five candidates for the United States Senate have declared themselves on this issue within the past few days, including Sen. Estes Kefauver of Tennessee and George Smathers of Florida. Rep. Charles Howell, Senatorial candidate in New Jersey, has opposed the shipment of arms to the Arabs and has urged the U.S. “to exert its influence on the Arab states and Israel to sit down and negotiate a settlement of differences.”
Rep. George H. Bender of Ohio, a candidate for the Senate seat held by the late Robert A. Taft, declared: “It should be clear that the only possible purpose to which Arab arms may be put in the foreseeable future, in the absence of peace with Israel, is their utilization either for warfare with Israel or to divert Israel’s energies and limited resources to military defense.”
MANY EXPRESS SYMPATHY WITH THE JEWISH STATE
Edgar A. Brown, Senatorial candidate from South Carolina, and Patrick V. McNamara, Senatorial candidate in Michigan, have expressed opposition to the State Department’s handling of the Near Eastern situation, both hitting the proposed arming of Israel’s enemies and both expressing sympathy with the Jewish State.
Congressmen who have called on the Administration to withhold weapons from the Arab states in the present situation include: Gordon H. Scherer of Ohio; Paul Brown of Georgia; Floyd Cramer of New York; Francis E. Walter of Pennsylvania; William R. Williams of New York; Arthur G. Klein of New York; Edward T. Miller of Maryland; George Huddleston of Alabama; George Grant of Alabama; T. Millet Hand of New Jersey; Hugh Addonizio of New Jersey; James G. Donovan of New York and Albert W. Cretella of Connecticut.
Other candidates who have signed the declaration of the Zionist committee include Amos S. Basel of New York; James Gartland of Conn; Vernon E. Olin of New York; Formington Taylor of New York; and Warren L. Schnur of New York.
More Congressional candidates are expected to sign the declaration, which also urges that the United States should grant no arms to the Arab countries in advance of any peace negotiations with Israel, and not until they abandon the direct and indirect boycott and blockade of Israel. The declaration also expresses the belief that the Administration “should make a new and vigorous effort to bring the Arab states and Israel to the peace table for direct negotiations.”
Rep. Gordon Scherer, in addition to signing the declaration, revealed that he had written a letter to Secretary of State John Foster Dulles, in which he declared: “It is our deep conviction that arming the Near Eastern countries will not materially increase the security of the United States or even that part of the world, but will instead serve to agitate local unrest and stability. I am convinced that to give arms to Iraq and Egypt is a menace to Israel’s security and is contrary to the best interest of our country.”
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