Leaders of Socialist International Create Pro-palestine Committee

(Jewish Telegraphic Agency)

A Pro-Palestine Committee representing the trade union movement in Europe and the United States, though not an official part of the Amsterdam International, was created here yesterday.

The decision, opposed originally by some of the anti-Zionist Jewish Socialists at the meeting of the Amsterdam International Executive was reached at a special conference of forty leading delegates to the International Socialist Congress, representing the largest countries in Europe. The meeting which was initiated by the Zionist Labor party, Poale Zion, was convened by Eduard Bernstein, German Socialist leader; Leon Blum. French; Arthur Henderson, British, and Emile Vandervelde, Belgian.

The resolution introduced by Vandervelde and unanimously adopted expresses “recognition of the achievements of the new Jewish commonwealth in Palestine.” The resolution adds that Zionism “based on work, on Socialist transformation and international solidarity, deserves the assistance of all Socialists.” The Pro-Palestine Labor Committee, composed of Socialist leaders, will maintain permanent offices in Brussels under the direction of two secretaries. M. Pierard and M. Jarblum. The office of the committee will be in permanent contact with the Poale Zion and will systematically inform the Amsterdam International of its activities and about the work of the labor organization in Palestine.

The members of the Committee are Eduard Bernstein, Leon Blum, Breitscheid, Broukere. Huysmans, George Lansbury, Paul Loebe, Longuet, Moeller, Oudegeest, Renaudel, Abraham Shipliacoff of New York. Turati, Teiernoff, Tseretelli, Josiah Wedgwood and Emile Vandervelde.

In his opening address Emile Vandervelde, who recently returned rom Palestine, described the situation in the country as he saw it, declaring that he observed there “great Zionist achievements and possibilities.” He praised the work of the Jewish Labor Federation and took occasion to criticise some of the recommendations of the Joint Palestine Survey Commission with regard to labor. He closed his address by quoting in Hebrew the Biblical prophecy, “Velo Inatshu Od M’al Admatam”. (And they shall not be removed any more from their soil.)

Mr. Kaplansky, speaking in behalf of the Poale Zion party, drew the attention of the delegates to the fact that hitherto. Jewish labor representatives came to the International to voice their protest. Now they came to tell of the Jewish achievements, struggles and hopes in Palestine. He described the activities of the Labor Federation in Palestine and the difficulties it encounters and urged that they deserve the aid of the International. M. Jarblum presented the plan of the Pro-Palestine Committee.

More than 12,000 individuals from 3,248 families received financial relief and service from the Jewish Social Service Association of New York in 1927, according to the annual report of the organization made public yesterday by Leopold Flaut its president. The association organized in 1874 under the name. United Hebrew Charities, has been since the establishment of the Federation for the Support of Jewish Philanthropic Societies in 1917, one of its constituent societies.

The exact number receiving assistance was 12,924. The report states that 46 percent of the families under care were not in need of financial relief but received service from the workers in the distriet offices meeting their problems. For the material needs of 1901 families, $540,926 was expended Of this sum $469,209 was received from the Federation and $81,717 from special funds.

In addition to the families who received major care, more than 2,000 families received minor services, making a total of more than 5,000 families who received service from the organization in 1927.

The percentage of all families in which unemployment was a major problem increased from 28.3 percent in 1926 to 44.6 percent in 1927. The percentage of behavior problems increased from 18.7 percent in 1926 to 28 percent in 1927.