The more than 200,000 voters who went to the polls yesterday to indicate their sentiments on partition and other vital issues facing the Zionist movement gave the Palestine Labor Party the largest number of votes, with the Revisionists, who have not participated in a Congress election since 1935, placing a surprising second.
The Labor Party received 74,000 votes and the Revisionists 28,300. They were followed by the Poale Mizrachi with 24,500, the Hashomer Hatzair, 24,000 and the Tenua L’Achdut Avoda, left-wing opposition in the Palestine Labor Party, 23,000. The Aliya Hadasha, the party of post-Hitler immigrants, mostly from Germany, received 12,000 votes, while the General Zionists received 5,000 as did the Mizrachi organization. Ten thousand ballots were still uncounted.
The 79 seats that were being contested will be distributed on the following basis: Labor Party, 28; Revisionists, 12; Poale Mizrachi, 10; Hashomer Hatzair, 9; Tenua L’Achdut Avoda, 9; Aliya Hadasha, 6 and five to the minor parties.
In the Latrun detention camp where special balloting was permitted by the authorities, the Revisionists received an overwhelming majority of the votes. The count was: Revisionists, 247; Laborites, 30; Aliya Hadasha, 4; Hashomer Hatzair, 2; and General Zionists, 1.
The balloting was quiet and completely without incident. On election eve a score of youths engaged in a minor fracas, but were stopped by their comrades. Following this melee, the representatives of all parties agreed to maintain strict discipline.
ACTIONS COMMITTEE LEAVES DECISION ON PARTICIPATION IN LONDON PARLEY TO CONGRESS
The Small Zionist Actions Committee met here today to hear reports on the Jewish Agency negotiations with the British Government, but it is understood that it will take no decision on Zionist participation in the London talks when they resume, leaving it to the World Zionist Congress.
Eliezer Kaplan, Agency treasurer, told the Committee today that no agreement of any kind had been reached with the British Government during the recently concluded London talks. He said that the negotiators acted only in accordance with instructions given them by the Actions Committee.
The Agency executive was slated to present to the meeting a three-point resolution scoring the existence of a police regime in Palestine, condemning terrorist activities and expressing appreciation of President Truman’s policy on Palestine and appealing that it be implemented as soon as possible.
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