Curtis Revealed As Prime Mover of Congress Endorsement of Balfour Paper

Senator Charles Curtis, Republican candidate for vice-president, was disclosed as the prime mover of the resolution adopted by Congress in June 1922 endorsing the Balfour Declaration, in an article by Max Rhoade, published in the current issue of the “Jewish Tribune.”

The writer, who lives in Washington, has, he declares, intimate knowledge of the history preceding the adoption of the resolution.

“The most important and interesting of these facts is that neither Lodge nor Fish but quite another person was the original sponsor of the resolution in Congress” writes Mr. Rhoade, “and it was his preparatory work that paved the way for its ultimate adoption. This ‘person’ was none other than Senator Charles Curtis of Kansas, who is now Republican candidate for Vice-President of the United States.

“The story goes back to the fall of 1921 when a certain Orthodox rabbi, Simon Glazer by name, then Rabbi of the United Synagogue of Greater Kansas City, decided, in his fervent Jewish patriotism and zeal, to establish some contacts which might lead to an official pronouncement of sympathy with the carrying of the Balfour Declaration by the United States Government through its then Republican administration, and thus clear the way for ratification of the Palestine Mandate. Gradually, Rabbi Glazer’s thoughts materialized into the idea of a resolution of Congress. Though untrained in the school of politics or diplomacy, the rabbi was gifted with rare instinets in that direction. He proceeded to establish acquaintance with Governor Henry J. Allen of Kansas, and laid his thoughts fully before him. The governor was completely won over by Rabbi Glazer’s enthusiasm and deep sincerity, and promised to exert every effort to enlist Senator Curtis of that State.”

Mr. Rhoade contnues: “Senator Curtis thereupon entered into negotiations with the State Department regarding the resolution, with the object of obtaining full sanction of that department. He took the matter up direct with Secretary of State Hughes. While these negotiations were still pending, a delegation of New England Zionists, under the direction of the Zionist Organization of America, presented the plan of such a resolution to Senator Lodge. Elihu D. Stone, assistant U. S. attorney, of Boston, now chairman of the National Executive Committee of the Zionist Organization of America, took the leading part in organizing this delegation and arranging the conference with Lodge. It was agreed as a result of this conference that Senator Lodge, owing to his position as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, should officially introduce the resolution. Senator Curtis readily consented to this arrangement in his desire to do anything that might facilitate the accomplishment of the object in view. Thus Senator Lodge became known as the official sponsor of the resolution, while Senator Curtis remained in the background. Curtis’ negotiations with the State Department, however, had already prepared the way for the resolution when Senator Lodge appeared on the scene.”