Cyrus Adler Heads Provisional Committee Acting for American Members of Administrative Committee of J

A provisional committee of four which will act on behalf of the American members of the Jewish Agency for Palestine has been established, according to an announcement made by Dr. Cyrus Adler, joint chairman of the Council of the Jewish Agency, through the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. This provisional Committee has been created in consequence of the resignation of Felix M. Warburg as chairman of the Administrative Committee of the Jewish Agency in protest against the White Paper issued by the British government on October 31 restricting Jewish immigration and land purchase in Palestine.

Dr. Adler’s statement follows:

“When the White Paper of October, 1930, representing the statement of policy of the British Government with respect to the Palestine Mandate, was made public, in common with Dr. Chaim Weizmann, president of the Jewish Agency for Palestine, and Lord Melchett, chairman of the Council therof, Mr. Felix M. Warburg felt that he must resign from office in the Jewish Agency. He announced that further relations with the British government, such as the chairmanship of the Administrative Committee entailed, were no longer possible in his case. At the same time, he requested that the necessary steps should be taken for the creation of an interim emergency committee to carry on the affairs of the Administrative Committee of the Jewish Agency. He made clear that his devotion to the Jewish cause and to Palestine remained unabated, and that he would continue to lend his best efforts to support our work in Palestine which challenges the deepest interest of all of us.

RECALLS WARBURG’S SUGGESTION

“Immediately after the announcement of his resignation from the office of chairman of the Administrative Committee, Mr. Warburg caused to be called together the American members of the Administrative Committee of the Jewish Agency at a special meeting on Wednesday, October 22, 1930. At this fully attended meeting, Mr. Warburg confirmed the notice of his resignation, which he desired to take effect forthwith. He suggested that a committee of the American members should study the situation, and in his behalf, forward to the appropriate bodies and offices of the Jewish Agency, the notice of his formal resignation from the Chairmanship of the Administrative Committee.

“By resolution of the American members of the Administrative Committee, confirmed at a subsequent meeting especially called therefor on November 13th, 1930, it was the sense of the American members of the Administrative Committee that Mr. Warburg’s resignation be handed to an emergency committee, to be, by that committee, transmitted to the proper authorities and that the aforesaid committees should take immediate steps to study the entire situation and take such action as it might deem itself legally empowered to do and as seemed to it proper.

“Dr. Cyrus Adler, as Joint Chairman of the Council, presided over the meeting of the American members, and was directed by the resolution adopted, to appoint an emergency committee in the sense indicated in this statement. That emergency committee consisted of Dr. Cyrus Adler, Bernard Flexner and Robert Szold, the chairman of the Administration Committee of the Zionist Organization of America.

ADLER NAMED CHAIRMAN

“Having considered the matter fully, the emergency committee has established the following provisional committee in behalf of the American members of the Administrative Committee: Dr. Cyrus Adler, chairman; Bernard Flexner, Morris Rothenberg, Robert Szold. Julius Simon as a member of the Executive of the Jewish Agency, will serve ex-officio with this committee, and Joseph C. Hyman will serve as the secretary of the Provisional Committee.

“It is intended that the Provisional Committee will from time to time call upon the American members of the Administrative Committee for counsel; it will serve as an interim committee to dispose of all emergent matters, to guide and counsel the secretary in the discharge of his daily duties, and to maintain formal contact between the American members of the Administrative Committee and the offices of the Jewish Agency in England.

“Dr. Adler, as chairman of the Provisional Committee, is happy to state that the Committee has been in constant, in fact, almost daily touch with Mr. Warburg, with Mr. Justice Louis D. Brandeis and with Prof. Felix Frankfurter, who have indicated that they are ready to cooperate with and advise the Committee on all matters of importance. The Provisional Committee has transmitted to the office of the Jewish Agency abroad Mr. Warburg’s notice of resignation.”