Mass Meetings in New York, Boston, Cleveland, San Francisco, Adopt Resolutions Protesting Russian Pe

A resolution protesting against the “cruel, deliberate and unrelenting suppression of the teaching and practice of the Jewish faith in the land of the Soviets, and against the numerous and unprecedented forms of punishment and persecution meted out to those of our co-religionists and of other faiths who are loyal and devoted to their sacred traditions,” was adopted by the mass meeting held at the Town Hall, on Sunday afternoon, under the auspices of the American Jewish Congress as part of the national wide demonstration against the anti-religious policy of the Russian Soviet Government.

Adoption of the resolution was preceded by speeches by United States Senator Simeon D. Fess, a member of Senate Foreign Affairs Committee; Representative Hamilton Fish, Jr., former representative Nathan D. Perlman, Dr. Hirsh Masliansky, I. N. Thurman, Carl Sherman, and Bernard S. Deutsch, who acted as chairman of the meeting.

During the meeting there was announcement made that a great mass meeting “for religious liberty” will be held in the Metropolitan Opera House, Tuesday evening, March 25th, under the patronage of such leaders as Cardinal Hayes, Bishop Manning, Bernard S. Deutsch, president of the American Jewish Congress; the Rev. Dr. Arthur J. Brown, Dr. Nicholas Butler, William D. Guthrie, and Bernard G. Richards, secretary of the American Jewish Congress. Leaders scheduled to speak at the meeting are: Rabbi Nathan Krass, Matthew Woll, John W. Davis, and Rev. Edmund A. Walsh, an authority on Russian affairs.

Soviet Russia can never hope to win recognition from this country while it continues its religious persecutions, Senator Fess told the meeting, declaring that the foundation of the government of this country is religious freedom, and it will refuse to have relations with any government denying that right.

The real danger lies not in the persecution of religious elements, the Senator asserted, but in the effort to entice the youth away from their faith. “Martyrdom of an individual or of a race is nearly always a guarantee for that for which he stands in the future,” he declared. “But if, by propaganda, the youth of the Jewish people be inveigled away from their faith, there is a danger. If the rising generation of this people is impressed with godlessness at an early age, there may be danger. That is the only danger I can see. The conduct of the Russian Soviet Government will be the basis of my vote on whether it will be recognized or not,” Senator Fess concluded.

A powerful attack on the Soviet Government was made by Congressman Fish who described it as a “reign of terror by a small minority,” and Communism as requiring the extermination of all religion.

Bernard S. Deusch, president of the American Jewish Congress and chairman of the meeting, pointed out that the American Jewish Congress was not attacking or expressing any opinion regarding the Soviet political and economic problem, or any phases of its policies except the religious policy.