ZIONIST OPPONENTS OF THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT’S PROPOSAL TO PARTITION PALESTINE BANDED TOGETHER TODAY TO FIGHT ACCEPTANCE OF THE PLAN BY THE WORLD ZIONIST CONGRESS, OPENING TUESDAY NIGHT.
AN INTER-FACTIONAL BUREAU WAS ESTABLISHED TO LEAD THE ANTI-PARTITION FORCES AT THE CONGRESS. THE MEMBERS INCLUDE MENACHEM M. USSISHKIN, WORLD PRESIDENT OF THE JEWISH NATIONAL FUND; RABBI MEIR BERLIN, WORLD PRESIDENT OF MIZRACHI, AND BERL KATZNELSON, ZIONIST LABOR LEADER.
DR. CHAIM WEIZMANN, PRESIDENT OF THE JEWISH AGENCY FOR PALESTINE, REPORTED AT A MEETING OF THE AGENCY EXECUTIVE ON THE CHANGED POLITICAL SITUATION RESULTING FROM THE BRITISH DECLARATION AT GENEVA THAT THE DETAILS OF PARTITION HAD NOT BEEN FINALLY ACCEPTED. DR. STEPHEN S. WISE, LEADING MEMBER OF THE AMERICAN DELEGATION, WAS AMONG THE PROMINENT ZIONISTS WHO HEARD THE REPORT.
DR. WEIZMANN WILL LEAVE FOR WARSAW AT THE END OF AUGUST, IT WAS LEARNED, TO DISCUSS WITH GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS THE ATTITUDE OF POLAND TOWARD PARTITION AND OTHER QUESTIONS. HE WILL ALSO VISIT THE VILLAGE WHERE HIS FATHER IS BURIED.
LABORITE FACTIONS, UNTIL A LATE HOUR YESTERDAY, WERE STILL DIVIDED ON THE PARTITION QUESTION. THE OPINION THAT PARTITION WAS UNAVOIDABLE AND SHOULD BE MADE THE BEST OF WAS GAINING GROUND. THE AMERICAN LABOR ZIONIST DELEGATES, PREVIOUSLY REGARDED AS STRONG OPPONENTS OF PARTITION, WERE BELIEVED TO BE SWINGING TOWARD A MORE FAVORABLE ATTITUDE TO THE BRITISH PROPOSAL.
CONGRESS CIRCLES RECEIVED WITH RELIEF THE STATEMENT OF COLONIAL SECRETARY ORMSBY-GORE IN GENEVA THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT DOES NOT EXPECT A SPEEDY DECISION ON PARTITION AND ALSO THAT IT IS NOT COMMITTED TO A SPECIFIC PLAN. THIS WAS INTERPRETED AS IMPLYING THAT THE IMMEDIATE DANGER WAS REMOVED AND THERE WOULD BE A BREATHING SPELL IN WHICH THE JEWS COULD SEEK MORE EQUITABLE CONDITIONS WHEN PARTITION FINALLY IS APPLIED.
IN VIEW OF THESE DEVELOPMENTS, THE PRINCIPAL OPPONENTS OF PARTITION, INCLUDING DR. WISE, AGREED NOT TO MAKE PUBLIC STATEMENTS ON THE QUESTION FOR THE TIME BEING.
THE VIEW CURRENT AMONG DELEGATES THAT SINCE THE IMMEDIATE DANGER OF PARTITION WAS REMOVED, THE CONGRESS WOULD BE DIVIDED INTO TWO PARTS. THE FIRST PART WOULD BE CONCERNED CHIEFLY WITH THE COMPOSITION OF THE NEW WORLD ZIONIST EXECUTIVE, WHICH WILL HAVE THE TASK OF NEGOTIATING WITH THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT. AFTER THE ELECTIONS IT WAS BELIEVED THE CONGRESS WOULD ADJOURN FOR SEVERAL MONTHS UNTIL IT WAS CLEAR WHAT THE JEWS WOULD RECEIVE FROM AN AMENDED PARTITION SCHEME.
THE AMERICAN DELEGATION OF 91 ARRIVED HERE TODAY. ONLY TWELVE OF THE ZIONIST ORGANIZATION OF AMERICA’S DELEGATES FAVOR PARTITION. OTHER DELEGATIONS EXPECTED INCLUDE THOSE FROM ITALY AND GERMANY.
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