Lodge Outlines His Views on Arab-israel Problem to Jewish Leaders

Declaring that he did not always agree with the State Department’s views on certain aspects of the Arab-Israeli problem, when he was the head of the United States delegation to the United Nations, Ambassador Henry Cabot Lodge, Republican candidate for Vice President, today outlined his own views before an audience of Jewish leaders. He emphasized that Vice President Richard M. Nixon, Republican candidate for President, agrees with his views.

Ambassador Lodge pointed out that his own interest in Israel goes back to his early youth, when his grandfather sponsored in the United States Senate what was then known as the Lodge Resolution, which put the U.S. on record as favoring the establishment of a Jewish National Home in Palestine. That event, he said, was an influence through-out his life, and throughout his service as a member of the U. S. Senate. “When I became representative of the U.S. to the United Nations, I was never forgetful of it.” he declared.

Making it clear that “there is no doubt that Israel is here to stay, ” and emphasizing that he favors “free navigation of the Suez Canal, ” Ambassador Lodge said that, on the basis of his eight years’ experience of being in close touch with the “Palestine question” in the United Nations, he has come to the following personal conclusions:

“That the time has come to try to bring about an overall settlement of the Palestine question in all its aspects, I refer to the status of the Arab refugees, the development of the waters of the Jordan, and other relationships between Israel and its neighbors. The effort to reach such a settlement with justice and fairness to all should be under-taken at a high level. There will, of course, have to be consideration by each side of the problems of the other side. The United States should be willing to contribute generously toward bringing such a settlement about.”

SAYS ‘IT WILL NOT BE EASY’ TO CARRY OUT HIS PROGRAM

Mr. Lodge stressed that “it will not be easy” to carry out this program. “No miracles should be expected,” he said, “but a thoroughgoing attempt should be made.” He termed the Middle Eastern area, “in which the Palestine question predominates.” as one of the three “particularly dangerous areas in the world today, the other two being the Straits of Formosa and Berlin “which is constantly threatened by the Soviet Union.”

The Vice Presidential candidate said that, although in the last two or three years disturbing occurrences on the Arab-Israel front have been much more infrequent than in the earlier years,” there is still much that is wrong.”

“One does not have to be an expert to know how stubborn the problems are, how great are the difficulties, and how much is at stake. Anyone who thinks the situation is simple and that it can be dealt with by slogans and catch-phrases is deluding himself,” he stated. “Clearly a person wishing to make a pessimistic appraisal of the situation would find it easy to do so. Yet, I think it is possible to find constructive elements and it may surprise you to hear that I believe that such constructive aspects can be found in what happened in the United Nations after the Suez incident.”

He then cited the fact that, after the “Suez incident, ” the United Nations succeeded in stationing its Emergency Force along the Gaza strip and at the entrance to the Gulf of Akaba, thus preventing further possible clashes between Egypt and Israel. He emphasized the role he played in obtaining the necessary two-thirds vote in the General Assembly, which authorized the stationing of the United Nations Emergency Force along the Egyptian frontier, and gave credit to Egypt for not objecting to the stationing of this force.

HAILS CONTRIBUTIONS OF JEWS TO UNITED STATES

Ambassador Lodge strongly praised Abba Eban, Israel’s former representative at the United Nations, and pointed out that there are “many developments in Israel which must arouse admiration wherever courage, intelligence and democracy are prized. For the settlers in Israel in a very short time have built up an underdeveloped country by intensive efforts and great sacrifice–and today Israel is herself extending help to

Mr. Lodge also bailed the contributions of American Jews to the United States. “Art and science in America would be quite different and inferior things without the contributions of Americans of the Jewish faith.” he said. “And the injunctions of that faith–to do justly, love mercy and walk humbly with thy God, ” and to love thy neighbor as thyself–are in the mainstream of American political and social thought. They are mirrored in the basic documents of the Republic: in the Constitution, which enjoins the people to establish justice, and in the Declaration of Independence, which affirms that all men are created equal and are entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. In harmony with these values is the interest which we all share regarding Israel, ” he stated.