Report That Pompidou May Cut Short His Visit; 10,000 Demonstrate in Chicago

CBS radio reported today that President Georges Pompidou, of France, said he intends to cut short his visit to the United States and omit his visit to New York City scheduled for tomorrow. The report could not be immediately confirmed. In Washington, a State Department spokesman said he had no information about the possibility of M. Pompidou cutting short his visit. But according to one news source, the French President reportedly told State Department officials that he would if there were any more demonstrations like the one he experienced in Chicago Saturday night where some 10,000 persons protested French Mideast policies.

An estimated 5000 persons staged a protest demonstration at Westchester County Airport today as President Pompidou arrived there from Chicago. He is staying over night at the White Plains home of Emil Mossbacher, chief of protocol of the U.S. State Department. His plans call for him to meet with a delegation of Jewish leaders in New York tomorrow and to attend a luncheon in his honor at the United Nations, given by Secretary General U Thant.

During M. Pompidou’s visit to Chicago, an estimated 10,000 persons from that city and other Mid-western cities staged a massive but peaceful demonstration outside of the Palmer House where a dinner in honor of the French leader was held. Prior to the dinner, President Pompidou met for a half hour with a delegation of Chicago Jewish leaders who conveyed to him their deep concern over France’s sale of Mirage Jets to Libya. According to Jean Beliard, M. Pompidou’s press aide, the President told the Jewish leaders that “it was in the interests of Israel to become a state in the geographical sense like all other states and that as long as Israel continued to be a religious state, it would be surrounded by hostile people.” Two Chicago newspapers reported today that M. Pompidou had told the Jewish leaders that Israel must stop using racial and religious ties abroad to further its policies. But the Jewish leaders who met with the President have categorically denied that he made such a statement to them.

JEWISH LEADERS IN CHICAGO DENY POMPIDOU SAID ISRAEL MUST SEVER RELIGIOUS TIES ABROAD

Spokesmen for the group–Raymond Epstein, president of the Chicago Jewish Welfare Board and Rabbi Seymour J. Cohen, president of the Chicago Board of Rabbis–told JTA that what President Pompidou said to them was that Israel is a state and quarrels and differences often arise between states but as far as France and Israel are concerned, these have nothing to do with religious issues. They said that M. Pompidou, who was accompanied by Foreign Minister Maurice Schumann and the French Ambassador to the U.S., Charles Lucet, went out of his way to stress that France’s current posture in the Mideast was not affected by religious considerations nor is France, the French Government or its President in any way anti-Semitic. The alleged warning to Israel was front-paged by the Chicago Tribune and also appeared in the Chicago Sun-Times. It was attributed to M. Beliard who purportedly quoted President Pompidou’s remarks to the Jewish leaders. The latter said they were not sure that M. Beliard was even present at their meeting with the French President.

M. Beliard also reported that the Jewish leaders had asked President Pompidou why the Arab countries would not agree to direct talks with Israel. He reportedly replied that as long as the current situation exists “such talks would be unacceptable” because they would be between “a conquering nation and a conquered nation.” Mr. Epstein and Rabbi Cohen subsequently told JTA that M. Pompidou had told them that France’s Mideast policies were based on considerations larger than the immediate question of the sale of 110 jets to Libya. He said further that France had taken precautions to prevent the use of the Libyan jets against Israel but if they proved inadequate, France would then reconsider its Mideast policies. Rabbi Cohen told JTA that the meeting with the French President was cordial but left the Jewish leaders “disappointed” because he indicated no change in France’s policies.

The demonstration at Westchester Airport was organized by the Westchester Board of Rabbis and supported by major Jewish organizations in the area. It was termed a “very definite success” by Rabbi Ludwig Madelmann, chairman of the Westchester Board of Rabbis. “It exceeded all our expectations,” he told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. The demonstrators carried picket signs reading: “Water, Not Oil;” “We Work For Peace. What Does Pompi-do?” and “Pompous Pompidou Pumps Pan-Arabian Petroleum.” A number of signs were written in French.

RALLY PLANNED IN NEW YORK ON EVE OF POMPIDOU’S ARRIVAL

A citywide rally sponsored by nine national Jewish organizations is scheduled in New York City this evening to protest France’s Middle East Policy. The rally at Hunter College comes on the eve of French President Georges Pompidou’s arrival in this city on his way home to France. Rally sponsors said the meeting was called to “convey to the President of France the profound opposition of Americans of different races and religions to his policy of arming a hostile Arab state, Libya, while reneging on delivery of planes already sold to Israel.” When M. Pompidou arrives in New York tomorrow morning he will receive a delegation of Jewish leaders at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel.