Major Political Parties Urged to Back Legislation Outlawing Anti-semitism

The Democratic and Republican parties were called upon today to incorporate in the platforms which they will adopt at their Chicago conventions planks calling for legislation to make anti-Semitism and other form of racial bias a criminal offense. The demand was voiced in a resolution adopted at the 57th annual convention of the Independent Order B’rith Abraham, meeting here.

The convention also adopted a resolution urging promulgation by the peace conference of an international bill of rights, incorporating the Four Freedoms and the Atlantic Charter. A committee was appointed to undertake a study of proposed world peace plans, in cooperation with other Jewish groups, in order to secure international legislation outlawing anti-Semitism and all other forms of racial discrimination.

The delegates voted to petition President Roosevelt, members of Congress and national figures urging abrogation of the British White Paper on Palestine and free and unlimited Jewish immigration there. They also affirmed their support of the Balfour Declaration, calling for a Jewish national home in Palestine.

Other resolutions voted approval of the American Jewish Conference and voiced the organization’s support of the Conference; pledged the purchase of $1,000,000 worth of war bonds during the Fifth War Loan Drive, which opened today; and approved establishment of a war fund within the order to give financial support to all war-connected organizations.

Addressing the convention, this afternoon, on the plight of European Jewry, Rabbi Staphen S. Wise demanded that after the war those refugees desiring to remain in countries to which they immigrated be allowed to do so; that refugees wishing to return to their homelands be assisted to do so; and that Palestine be created as an independent Jewish Commonwealth.